Purpose – This paper aims to examine the relationship between economic upgrading (implementing higher value-added activities) and social upgrading (improvements in workers’ rights and employment) of supplier firms in global value chains (GVCs) governed by multinational enterprises (MNEs)....

Research Question/IssueThis study examines the phenomenon of principal–principal conflicts in privatized companies in Vietnam. Since different types of shareholders may have competing interests, our study aims to address the following question: “How do different types of shareholders affect...

PurposeThis paper provides an overview of the Aztec 13 – the top 13 multinational enterprises in Mexico. Different from research that groups countries and regions, the purpose of the paper is to deliver a nuanced picture of these multinationals in terms of their key characteristics and the...

According to Amnesty International and African Research Watch (Afrewatch) in their 2016 report entitled "This is What We Die For" none of the MNCs could fully verify where the cobalt in their products comes from because of the complex nature of the supply chain. Old institutionalism emphasizes...

PurposeModern slavery, one of the most abhorrent crimes against humanity, is a profitable international business (IB). It often operates in a hidden form in the global value chains (GVCs) governed by multinational corporations (MNCs). The purpose of this paper is to examine why slavery exists in...

Beginning in 2011, Indonesian fishermen from several South Korean foreign charter vessels (FCVs) operating in New Zealand's waters walked off their vessels citing labour and human rights abuses, as well as illegal fishing practices. This article argues that the level of these abuses meets the...

Purpose – Modern slavery is a problem that international business (IB) research can no longer ignore. Multinational enterprises (MNEs) are often contributors to the persistence of modern slavery, by virtue of the regulatory challenge they pose to states and their insufficient oversight of...

This Special Issue Commentary and Introduction briefly outlines how modern slavery is linked to international business via globally disaggregated production systems governed through ownership and contracts by MNCs. Numerous mechanisms and practices mask the presence of modern slavery across the...