Innovations in the business models of modern slavery: Exploring the dark side of business model innovaton

This paper addresses the scant attention paid to the dark side of business model innovation by empirically examining innovations in the business models of modern slavery. Our paper focuses on how the business models of slavery in advanced economies like the US and UK have evolved since the practice was legally abolished in the 19th Century. We find that while some continuities with the business models of traditional slavery exist, novel forms of business models have emerged based on new actors, activities, and linkages between activities. We categorize these innovations according to the actor involved (producer/intermediary) and how value is created and captured (revenue generation/cost reduction), giving rise to four innovative models. We discuss our findings considering the literature on business model innovation, the dark side of organizations, and the business of modern slavery, as well as outline implications for policy and practice.