Showing papers by "Roger Burritt published in 2022"

Quality of voluntary modern slavery disclosures: top Australian listed companies

Abstract: Purpose There is a growing concern over the need for greater transparency of quality information by companies about modern slavery to contribute toward elimination of the practice. Hence, this paper aims to examine factors behind the quality of voluntary modern slavery disclosures and major sources of pressure on Australian company disclosures in a premodern slavery legislated environment. Design/methodology/approach Content analysis and cross- sectional regression modeling are conducted to analyze factors determining the quality of voluntary modern slavery disclosures of the top 100 firms listed on the Australian Stock Exchange and their implications for institutional pressures. Findings Results indicate that size, assurance by Big-4 firms and publication of stand-alone modern slavery statements are significant drivers of disclosure quality in the sample. Profitability, listing status and the degree of internationalization are found to be unrelated to the quality of voluntary modern slavery disclosures. Industry classification is significant but only partly supports the prediction, and further investigation is recommended. Practical implications This paper provides a foundation for regulators and companies toward improving the quality of their modern slavery risk disclosures with a particular focus on prior experience, assurance and size. In practice, contrary to suggestions in the literature, results indicate that monetary penalties are unlikely to be an effective means for improving the quality of modern slavery disclosure. Results of the study provide evidence of poor quality of disclosures and the need for improvement, prior to introduction of modern slavery legislation in Australia in 2018. It also confirms that regulation to improve transparency, through the required publication of a modern slavery statement, is significant but not enough on its own to increase disclosure quality. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first research examining company level factors with an impact on voluntary modern slavery disclosure quality and the links to institutional pressures, prior to the introduction of the Commonwealth Modern Slavery Act 2018.

Modern slavery disclosures in mining: a comparison of large UK and Australian companies

Abstract: With growing interest in eradication of modern slavery in operations and supply chains the purpose of the paper is to explore disclosures of the top ten listed mining companies in the UK and Australia. Institutional theory provides the foundation for a first examination of comparative modern slavery disclosures in these two countries, at the time one with and one without disclosure legislation. Based on qualitative thematic analysis, major results indicate the UK Modern Slavery Act 2015 to be a catalyst for disclosures made by the sample of UK mining companies, whereas in Australia where no modern slavery legislation was in place, normative and mimetic institutional pressure is not viewed as important and the companies seemed underprepared for impending legislative changes. The paper concludes that transparency based legislation on modern slavery can provide a powerful coercive influence for change, strengthening other forms of normative and mimetic pressure.