Open AccessPivoting technology: understanding working conditions in the time of COVID-19
Author(s) -
Hannah Thinyane,
Michael A. Gallo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of modern slavery
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2574-9897
DOI - 10.22150/jms/tlhi4480
Subject(s) - audit , due diligence , business , multinational corporation , work (physics) , covid-19 , supply chain , process management , data collection , information and communications technology , knowledge management , marketing , accounting , computer science , engineering , finance , mechanical engineering , medicine , statistics , mathematics , disease , pathology , world wide web , infectious disease (medical specialty)
State lockdowns and travel restrictions introduced in response to COVID-19 have limited the ability of frontline responders to conduct on-site visits and inhibited their efforts to assess working conditions and monitor for labour exploitation within global supply chains. These challenges have increased multinational corporations’ reliance on remote technologies to assist in their supply chain due diligence processes. Our research investigates the use of one such example, Apprise Audit, which is a digital solution used for worker interviews in social compliance auditing that was modified to enable remote data collection. Based on a series of interviews with implementing partners and industry experts, our research finds that Apprise Audit Remote helps to overcome the difficulties of gathering worker feedback in the presence of COVID related constraints. Using this work as a case study, we then further elaborate on the practical opportunities and limitations associated with ICT-enabled remote auditing.