Modern Slavery in Construction Projects

Modern slavery is a heinous, unethical, and illegal phenomenon affecting more than 40.3 million individuals worldwide. It is spread across several sectors, with construction being one of the most important. Modern slavery in construction projects has been scarcely studied despite its relevance and prevalence. This PhD research addresses this gap in knowledge by investigating modern slavery in construction projects. It employs a qualitative research design involving three main methods: a systematic literature review on modern slavery in projects, a single case study of the construction of the 2022 FIFA World Cup Program, and semi-structured interviews with 22 managers in the construction sector. The key contributions to knowledge made by this PhD are as follows. First, it develops a conceptual framework for the study of modern slavery in construction projects; second, it introduces modern slavery in construction management; third, it identifies why modern slavery occurs in construction projects and highlights the importance of “political will” in fighting the phenomenon worldwide; fourth, it introduces and contextualizes the phenomenon of modern slavery in construction projects through the Fraud Triangle Theory; and fifth, it reveals a disconnection between construction companies’ official anti-modern slavery statements and the reality on construction sites and identifies the reasons for this disconnection. The key limitations of this PhD research are the restricted nature of the sector, its geographic scope, its reliance on qualitative data and the effectiveness of modern slavery training. The limitations are followed by proposed areas for future research.