Bullock, K., Di Domenico, M., Miller, G. et al. (2 more authors) (2024) Under the radar? Modern slavery and labour exploitation risks for the hotel industry. Tourism Management, 102. 104857. ISSN 0261-5177
Abstract
The UK's tourism and hospitality industries, having the highest concentration of migrant workers compared to other industries, face complex challenges in managing the risks of labour exploitation and modern slavery (MS); issues largely neglected in academic research. New employment models risk weakening workers' power in employment relations, potentially leading to increased vulnerability and exploitation risk. Based on analysing primary and secondary sources, this article examines the nature of these risks. Our findings show the following drivers: power imbalances; possible enforcement gaps; normalisation and moralisation of possible exploitation; and potential threats posed by macro-level political and socioeconomic issues/events; these, including more competitive labour markets, paradoxically also present opportunities. We develop significant, novel theoretical contributions and propose the new ‘(in)conspicuous exploitariat’ concept, encapsulating their (dis)empowerment, and potential future risks/opportunities. The research advances theory, with implications for policy and practice, for both the UK and the international tourism and hospitality industries.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
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Authors/Creators: |
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Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). |
Keywords: | Modern slavery (MS); Labour exploitation; Hotels; Supply-chains; Tourism and hospitality industries |
Dates: |
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Institution: | The University of Leeds |
Academic Units: | The University of Leeds > Faculty of Education, Social Sciences and Law (Leeds) > School of Sociology and Social Policy (Leeds) |
Depositing User: | Symplectic Publications |
Date Deposited: | 26 Jul 2024 16:15 |
Last Modified: | 26 Jul 2024 16:15 |
Status: | Published |
Publisher: | Elsevier |
Identification Number: | 10.1016/j.tourman.2023.104857 |
Sustainable Development Goals: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:215214 |