Call for Papers: AIB Insights Special Issue
"Studying Modern Slavery: It Is Time for IB Scholarship to Contribute"
Guest Editors:
Snejina Michailova and Christina Stringer
Introduction
In 2016, an estimated 40.3 million people worldwide were living in a form of
modern slavery, of whom 16 million were victims of forced labor in the
private economy (ILO, Walk Free Foundation, & IOM, 2017). Modern slavery
includes forced labor, bonded labor, human trafficking, and other forms of
exploitation (Lake, MacAlister, Berman, Gitshaw & Page, 2016). It exists not
only in commodity-based labor-intensive industries but also in high-tech
sectors, generating an estimated US$150 billion in illegal profits annually
(ILO, 2016). Modern slavery is found not only in underdeveloped economies,
but also in developed countries. In the UK alone, it is estimated that
10,000- 13,000 people are victims of modern slavery at any point of time
(Lake et al., 2016). While modern slavery is growing at an unprecedented
rate (Bales, 2012; 2016), International Business (IB) research has so far
been silent on the subject (Michailova & Stringer, 2018). This is not only
puzzling; it is worrying, and disturbing. Hence, this call for papers!
Modern slavery often operates across borders (Stringer & Michailova, 2018;
Stringer, Whittaker & Simmons, 2016). First, globalizing forces increase the
number of migrant workers as well as the opportunities to exploit them and
others. Second, modern slavery is a by-product of our global production
system (Gold, Trautrims & Trodd, 2015). It is often a part of the activities
of the multinational corporation (MNC). Slavery is widespread, although
often concealed, in the MNCs' supply chains which link multiple layers of
supplier-firms with global buying firms and retailers (Burmester, Michailova
& Stringer, 2019). The fragmented nature of these internationally connected
supply chains often obscures slavery and leads to its persistent existence
and growth (Greer & Purvis, 2016).
The neglect (so far) of modern slavery by/in the IB discipline opens
opportunities for studies that are both interesting from a researchers' and
educators' viewpoint, and powerful in terms of changing existing policies
and practices. We suggest a few avenues and indicative research questions
that we find promising-they not only provide a fruitful opportunity for IB
scholars to initiate and engage in interesting scholarly conversations, but
also educate IB students as the next generation of business people, as well
as shape and influence policy debates that really matter.
IB Research
What does modern slavery look like as an IB? And in turn what does the IB of
modern slavery look like? What are its key features and who are the key
actors involved? What practices do these actors adopt and what skills do
they possess that allow slavery to flourish across borders?
Has the structural design of the MNC become so complex that it 'naturally'
creates opportunities to breed slavery? Or rather, is it the fluidity and
fragmentation of the multiple institutional contexts in which the MNC
operates that allows slavery to come into existence and to flourish?
Can MNCs protect themselves against modern slavery? If so, how? If not, why
not? How are new transparency requirements shaping not only codes of
conduct, but also the actual activities and behaviors of MNCs in regard to
modern slavery?
IB Teaching
In 2017, the University of Nottingham introduced an online course on modern
slavery, attracting 10,400 enrolments from 150 countries. These numbers
speak for themselves.
How can we increase students' awareness and knowledge on issues related to
modern slavery in our IB courses? What modules can we include in our
undergraduate IB courses as well as in more specialized postgraduate courses
on MNCs? What opportunities do we have at the PhD and post-doc level to
tackle the issue of modern slavery? What can we, as IB scholars, do to
educate the public about this crime against humanity? How can we help bring
about a change in society through our teaching?
Impact of IB Research on Policy Debates
Modern slavery has a corrosive effect throughout society on respect for the
rule of law and the rights of individuals. Efforts to address forced labor
abuses amounting to slavery are compromised by a lack of public
prioritization of the issue in many countries.
To what extent can governments influence MNCs to combat modern slavery in
their supply chains? How can governments hold MNCs to account? How can MNCs
help governments reduce modern slavery?
Is globalization leading to a disconnect between transnational and national
institutions? If so, what does such a disconnect mean for MNCs with slavery
in their supply chains?
How do government policies in the host county of an MNC affect the level of
vulnerability of low-skilled and/or migrant workers at risk of forced labor,
in other countries?
Submission Process and Timeline
Those interested in submitting to this Special Issue should consult the
<https://documents.aib.msu.edu/publications/insights/AIB_Insights_Editorial_
Policy.pdf> AIB Insights Editorial Policy and use the Online Manuscript
Submission System posted on the AIB Insights website at
<https://aib.msu.edu/publications/insights> https://aib.msu.edu/publi
<https://aib.msu.edu/publications/insights> cations/insights. Submissions
cannot exceed 2500 word in total. Please select "Special Issue: Modern
Slavery in IB" under 'Track' when submitting your manuscript.
Timeline: Please submit your work on or before November 15, 2019. Expected
publication of this Special Issue is in 2020.
References
Bales, K. 2012. Disposable people: New slavery in the global economy.
Berkeley, CA: University of California Press.
Bales, K. 2016. Blood and earth: Modern slavery, ecocide, and the secret to
saving the world. New York: Spiegel & Grau.
Burmester, B., Michailova, S., & Stringer, C. 2019. Modern slavery and
international business scholarship: The governance nexus. Critical
Perspectives on International Business, 15(2/3): 139-157.
Gold, S., Trautrims, A., & Trodd, Z. 2015. Modern slavery challenges to
supply chain management. Supply Chain Management: An International Journal,
20(5): 485-494.
Greer, B.T., & Purvis, J.G. 2016. Corporate supply chain transparency:
California's seminal attempt to discourage forced labour. The International
Journal of Human Rights, 20(1): 55-77.
International Labour Organization (ILO). 2016. ILO standards on forced
labour: The new protocol and recommendation at a glance. Geneva: ILO.
ILO, Walk Free Foundation, & IOM. 2017. Global estimates of modern slavery:
Forced labour and forced marriage. Geneva: ILO.
Lake, Q., MacAllister, J., Berman, C., Gitshaw, M., & Page, N. 2016.
Corporate approaches to addressing modern slavery in supply chains: A
snapshot of current practice. Ethical Trading Initiative and the Ashridge
Centre for Business and Sustainability at Hult International Business
School, 29.
Michailova, S., & Stringer, C. 2018. Tackling the ugliest phenomenon of our
times, modern slavery: An invitation to the IB scholarly community. AIB
Insights, 18(2): 7-10.
Stringer, C. & Michailova, S. 2018. Why modern slavery thrives in
multinational corporations' global value chains. Multinational Business
Review, 26(3): 194-206.
Stringer, C., Whittaker, D., & Simmons, G. 2016. New Zealand's turbulent
waters: the use of forced labor in the fishing industry. Global Networks,
16(1): 3-2
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William Newburry, Associate Editor
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