Wiley – The role of psychological distance in organizational responses to modern slavery risk in supply chains

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Modern slavery is used to describe forms of coercive labor exploitation that affect more than 40 million persons globally. Such practices are difficult to identify given they exist in the informal economy, and involve vulnerable individuals. Addressing modern slavery by organizations requires awareness of its context and complexities. Firms have been reluctant to address risks that serious labor exploitation might exist in their supply chain by dismissing it as something that occurs ‘elsewhere’ or as an inconceivable practice among their suppliers.

We argue a key problem with firms’ efforts to manage modern slavery risk is that it is a psychologically distant concept for them.