Beyond compliance-based governance: The role of social intermediaries in mitigating forced labor in global supply chains

Forced labor poses a significant challenge within global supply chains, yet traditional compliance-based governance based on auditing has proven to be ineffective in addressing this issue. Non-government organizations (NGOs) and worker rights organizations can serve as crucial allies in supporting and safeguarding workers by assuming the role of a 'social intermediary' (SI) between supply chain firms and workers. However, these external organizations often hold limited power within these supply chains. In our paper, we examine the sources of power that SIs can cultivate and utilize to lead successful interventions against forced labor in supply chains. Through a comparative case study involving three SIs and their collaborative efforts with a global seafood brand to combat forced labor in its Thai supply chain, we explore various forms of non-mediated power and their underlying origins. By establishing these connections, we shed light on the effectiveness (or lack thereof) of interventions against forced labor. Our research makes three contributions. First, we contribute to the ongoing discourse surrounding forced labor in supply chains by emphasizing the constructive role that NGOs and other SIs can play to protect vulnerable workers. This perspective extends beyond the conventional compliance-based supply chain governance approach. Second, we address a critical gap in the existing literature concerning power of SIs in supply chain relations. More specifically, we specify sources and types of non-mediated power that SI can leverage to design effective interventions against forced labor. Third, by comparing unique data on two worker groups vulnerable to forced labor – vessel workers and workers in seafood processing – we provide much needed insights into how working conditions in non-factory settings, that might not even be bound by location, can still be regulated.