Modern slavery is widespread. Hardly any country is immune to it, and almost no industry is shielded from it. Both formal and informal economies breed it. Some of it is found domestically, some of it crosses borders.

Modern slavery is typically viewed as a societal issue; it is enabled by socioeconomic, institutional, and geographical factors. It is, however, also an organizational phenomenon - modern slavery thrives because certain organizational actors are involved, particular business conditions exist, and specific management capabilities and practices are utilized. Modern slavery can creep into the employment relationship, making labor commodification extreme. Hence, it becomes an inherently HR issue.

This webinar will offer insights into (the business of) modern slavery. The talk will argue that unless modern slavery is understood as a business, there would be minimal chance of ending it. Persisting myths will be discussed briefly, and a reasoning behind some assumptions will be put forward. A case will be made for why HR scholars are well-positioned to pursue lines of inquiry related to modern slavery. Just because the phenomenon has remained largely under their radar so far and because research challenges endure, it doesn’t need to, and indeed, it shouldn’t be that way.