Responsible Business Conduct in Commodity Trading—A Multidisciplinary Review
Journal
Journal of Business Ethics
ISSN
0167-4544
ISSN-Digital
1573-0697
Type
journal article
Date Issued
2024-03
Author(s)
Abstract
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>Responsible business conduct (RBC)—the corporate activities and initiatives that proactively address corporate involvement in human rights, environmental, and governance threats—has become an increasingly used means to counteract and prevent adverse effects of global businesses. Unlike other business sectors whose adverse impacts and RBC efforts (or lack thereof) are well documented, a comprehensive understanding of the state of commodity trading (CT), has been missing. In response, this paper uses a multidisciplinary literature review to provide an integrative understanding of the current state of research on the relationship between CT and RBC. Based on a review of 131 articles, we advance a granular understanding of the current and prospective role of commodity traders in RBC by grouping extant research into three overarching themes: (1) industry self-regulation and co-regulatory initiatives, (2) government-led regulatory initiatives and policy responses, and (3) company-level management strategies impacting RBC practices. In addition to illustrating the themes through existing research and identifying gaps along the overarching themes, we use our literature review to suggest avenues for future research. The paper’s overarching contribution is, first, to synthesize previously fragmented findings into a coherent framework of CT and RBC. And second, to offer guidance on how scholarship in this important domain can be developed into a more mature, legitimate and practical stream of research.</jats:p>
Language
English
HSG Classification
contribution to scientific community
Refereed
Yes
Volume
195
Start page
449
End page
473
Pages
25
Subject(s)
Division(s)
Contact Email Address
henrietta.dorfmueller@unisg.ch