Addressing modern slavery in business operations and supply chains through partnership engagement

Purpose The need for partnerships has been widely recognised by scholars and practitioners as a step forward to address modern slavery (MS) risks across business operations and supply chains but the rationale for engagement remains underexplored when businesses are involved. Using the context of events, this paper aims to explore the role of partnerships in addressing MS by analysing the perspectives of key actors involved. Risks of MS have been identified in events due to labour practices and reliance on agency workers within complex supply chain management (SCM), but event actors’ perception of partnerships and wider views on MS implications remain unknown. Design/methodology/approach This constructivist research uses narrative analysis to yield new perspectives on the partnership front which inform three narratives depicting partnerships as relationships, solutions or opportunities to address MS. Findings This study finds that engagement with external stakeholders is regarded proactively, reactively and even with reluctance by some actors. It concludes that the role of partnership is not consistently understood by all stakeholders involved and that interpretations of partnerships are rooted in individuals’ definitions of MS. Research limitations/implications The underrepresentation of internal stakeholders within event companies may constrain the transferability of the findings. While the value of sector specific research stands, future research should engage a broader range of internal and external stakeholders to articulate pathways for implementing partnership approaches to addressing MS. Practical implications This study highlights that practitioners should use accurate MS and human rights terminology to raise awareness, improve risk identification and strengthen organisational responses. Event-sector stakeholders and partners can move from awareness to action by embedding MS specific terminology, supplier codes of conduct, risk assessments and KPIs into partnership and supply chain governance, with lessons transferable to other high-risk service sectors. Originality/value This study offers a contribution by uncovering how fragmented understandings of MS and diverse interpretations of partnerships − shaped by whether MS is seen as a compliance issue, human rights concern or criminal offence − create conflicting motivations and barriers to effective collaboration in the events sector and its supply chains. It contributes to MS in business and SCM scholarship by providing original insight into how vague, business-friendly language obscures labour exploitation risks and limits businesses’ preparedness for relational governance and partnership engagement.