Associate Professor Martijn Boersma

Biography

A/Prof Boersma's research focuses on the intersection of business and society, including areas such as modern slavery and human trafficking, business ethics and sustainability; corporate governance and corporate social responsibility; and employment and industrial relations. He has made a substantial contribution to the advancement of knowledge across these areas based on sustained academic output over an extended period. A/Prof Boersma has a record of successfully obtaining competitive research funding. Projects include "Improving the Regulation of Modern Slavery and Access to Remedy: Learning from Experience" (2021 -2023), funded by the Federal Governments' National Security and Criminal Justice Program; “Strategies for improving labour conditions within the Australian cotton value chain” (2019 – 2022), funded by the Cotton Research Development Corporation; and “Enforcing Labour Standards in Supply Chains through Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration” (2018-2021), funded by the Australian Research Council.

Teaching areas

Modern Slavery
Human Trafficking

Research interests and current projects

Research Interests:

Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
Business Ethics and Sustainability
Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility
Employment Relations and Industrial Relations.

Current Projects:

"Improving the Regulation of Modern Slavery and Access to Remedy: Learning from Experience" (2021 - 2023)
“Strategies for improving labour conditions within the Australian cotton value chain” (2019 – 2022)

Research supervision

A/Prof Boersma is currently supervising several Doctoral projects focused on the social responsibilities of business. He is available to supervise in the following areas:

Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking
Business Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility

Books

Nolan, J. & Boersma, M. (2019). Addressing Modern Slavery. UNSW Press.

Book chapters

Boersma, M. & Klettner, A. (2023 – Expected). Workers’ Capital and Sustainability. In Clarke, T. (Ed.), Routledge Companion to Corporate Sustainability.
Boersma, M. (2023 – Expected). Modern Slavery and Climate Change. In Clarke, T. (Ed.), Routledge Companion to Corporate Sustainability.
Boersma, M. (2022 – forthcoming) Organisational Legitimacy and Legitimising Myths. In Godwyn, M. (Ed.), Research Handbook on the Sociology of Organizations, Edward Elgar.
Clarke, T., & Boersma, M. (2019). Global Corporations and Global Value Chains: The disaggregation of corporations? In T. Clarke, J. O’Brien, & C. R. T. O’Kelley (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of the Corporation (318–365), Oxford University Press.

Journal articles and proceedings

Editor: Journal special editions

Boersma, M. & Nolan, J. (2022). Modern Slavery and the Employment Relationship: Exploring the Continuum of Exploitation. Journal of Industrial Relations 64(2).

Articles

Boersma, M. & Nolan, J. (2022). Modern Slavery and the Employment Relationship: Defining the Continuum of Exploitation. Journal of Industrial Relations, 64(2), 165 – 176.
Boersma, M., Josserand, E., Kaine, S. & Payne, A. (2022) Making Sense of Downstream Labour Risk in Global Value Chains: The Case of the Australian Cotton Industry. Journal of Industrial Relations, 64(2), 200-222.
Rawling, M., Kaine, S., Josserand, E. & Boersma, M. (2021). Multi-Stakeholder Frameworks for Rectification of Non-Compliance in Cleaning Supply Chains: The Case of the Cleaning Accountability Framework. Federal Law Review, 49(3), 438-464.
Boersma, M., & Nolan, J. (2020). Can Blockchain Help Resolve Modern Slavery in Supply Chains? AIB Insights, 20(2), 1-4.
Kaine, S., & Boersma, M. (2018). Women, work and industrial relations in Australia in 2017. Journal of Industrial Relations, 60(3), 317–336.
Boersma, M. (2018). Between Norms and Practice: Civil Society Perspectives on the Legitimacy of Multistakeholder Initiatives to Eliminate Child Labour. Business, Strategy and the Environment, 27(5), 612- 620.
Boersma, M. (2017) Changing Approaches to Child Labour in Global Supply Chains: Exploring the Influence of Multi-stakeholder Partnerships and the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. University of New South Wales Law Journal, 40(3), 1249 – 1274.
Clarke, T., & Boersma, M. (2015). The Governance of Global Value Chains: Unresolved Human Rights, Environmental and Ethical Dilemmas in the Apple Supply Chain. Journal of Business Ethics, 143 (1), 111-131.
Chelliah, J., Boersma, M., & Klettner, A. (2015). The Role of a National Regulator in Developing Solutions to Governance Challenges in The Not-For-Profit Sector. Journal of Developing Areas, 49(6), 449-458.
Klettner, A., Clarke, T., & Boersma, M. (2014). Strategic and Regulatory Approaches to Increasing Women in Leadership: Multilevel Targets and Mandatory Quotas as Levers for Cultural Change. Journal of Business Ethics, 133(3), 395–419.
Klettner, A., Clarke, T., & Boersma, M. (2014). The Governance of Corporate Sustainability: Empirical Insights into the Development, Leadership and Implementation of Responsible Business Strategy. Journal of Business Ethics, 122(1), 145–165.
Klettner, A., Clarke, T., & Boersma, M. (2013). The impact of soft law on social change- Measurable objectives for achieving gender diversity on boards of directors. Australian Journal of Corporate Law, 28(2), 138–165.
Klettner, A., Boersma, M., & Clarke, T. (2012). Women in leadership. Keeping Good Companies, 64(11), 648 – 654.

Conference papers

Boersma, M., Bedford, D., & Johns, Katie, J. (2020). The Role of Market Devices in Addressing Labour Exploitation: An Analysis of the Australian Cleaning Industry. Annual Meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Socioeconomics.
Boersma, M., Bedford, D., & Johns, Katie, J. (2019). A Proactive Approach to Addressing Modern Slavery through Strategic Transparency. Alternative Research Perspectives in Business Disciplines, Sydney.
O’ Brien, E., Coneybeer, J. & Boersma, M. (2019). Investor activism: voting with their share portfolio? Political Organisations and Participation, Canberra.
Klettner, A., Clarke, T. & Boersma, M. (2019). Corporate responsibility and financialisation in the international banking sector: the limits of current governance systems. European Academy of Management, Lisbon.
Dalton, B. & Boersma, M. (2018). Inhabiting parallel universes: the differing world views of impact investors and nonprofits and implications for building impact investment markets. 46th ARNOVA Conference, Austin.
Boersma, M. (2018). Can Blockchains Help Redress Labour Abuses in Supply Chains? Management Challenges and Theoretical Implications. 20th IESE Symposium on Ethics, Business and Society, Barcelona.
Klettner, A. & Boersma, M. (2018). Women in Corporate Leadership: An International Comparison of Regulatory Strategies. Gender Work and Organisation Conference, Sydney.
Logue D. & Boersma, M. (2017). Platforms for the People? Public Entrepreneurship in Interstitial Fields. Academy of Management, Proceedings 2017 (1), 13124, Atlanta.
Boersma, M. (2016). Beyond Codes of Conduct: Exploring the Role of Strategic Human Resource Management in Remediating Child Labour in Global Supply Chains. 19th IESE Symposium on Ethics, Business and Society, Barcelona.
Logue, D. & Boersma, M. (2016). Social Innovation in Interstitial Spaces: The Case and Unintended Consequences of Civic Crowd Funding. Latin America and European Meeting on Organization Studies (LAEMOS), Santiago.
Clarke, T. & Boersma, M. (2016) The Governance of Global Value Chains: The Internationalisation and Intensification of Accumulation and Exploitation. European Group for Organisational Studies Colloquium, Rotterdam.
Boersma, M. (2015). Sustainable Finance: Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance of Banks. 27th Annual Meeting of the Society for the Advancement of Socioeconomics, London.
Chelliah, J., Boersma, M. & Klettner, A. (2015). Governance Challenges for Not-for-Profit Organisations: Empirical Evidence in Support of a Contingency Approach. Australasian Conference on Business and Social Sciences 2015, Sydney.
Clarke, T., J Chelliah, A Klettner, M Boersma (2014). Governance challenges for not-for-profit organisations: empirical evidence in support of a contingency approach. Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management Conference, Sydney.
Klettner, A., Boersma, M. & Clarke, T. (2014). Advancing Women in Leadership: Multi-Level Targets and Cultural Change. Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management Conference, Sydney.

In the media

Television:

2020 ABC Afternoons (Live) Wage Theft at Coles
2018 ABC News (Live) Apple Fine: Tech giant fined $9million for breaches of consumer law
2018 ABC The Business Financial Services Royal Commission: AMP Boss gone, calls for chair to resign

Radio:

2020 ABC News Radio (live) Wage Theft at Coles
2020 2SER (live) The Rise of Wage Theft Scandals, Will They Ever End?
2019 ABC Radio National (Live) Are You Supporting Slavery Without Knowing It?
2019 ABC Radio Afternoons (Live) Interview with Myf Warhurst about book “Addressing Modern Slavery”
2019 6PR (Live) Modern Slavery in Major Australian Brands Exposed
2018 2SER Budget Extra: On Industrial Relations with Martijn Boersma
2016 ABC News Radio The 2022 World Cup Tarnished by Labour Exploitation in Qatar
2016 2SER Legislation to Combat Slavery and Trafficking in Supply Chains
2013 2SER Corporate Reporting on Labour Standards and Supply Chains

Print / Online

2022 SBS Pacific Islander farm workers demand justice after claims of 'modern slavery'
2022 Independent Australia Modern slavery should not be weaponised
2021 The New Daily On modern slavery, we need moral leadership rather than market morality
2021 The New Daily From fresh produce to seafood, supermarkets are under pressure to stamp out modern slavery
2021 The New Daily From Xinjiang to the Olympics: Why do companies find it so difficult to choose between profit and principle?
2021 The New Daily Take the profit out of slavery by holding companies to account for human rights abuses
2020 Sydney Morning Herald Paradox of the social license to operate
2020 The New Daily ‘Bullying’ clothing companies are asking struggling suppliers for discounts
2020 The Conversation The real economic victims of coronavirus are those we can’t see
2019 Sydney Morning Herald Australian companies need to take modern slavery seriously
2019 Lawyers Weekly Modern slavery laws – what do they mean for your business?
2019 The Conversation Can Blockchain help to break the chains of modern slavery?
2019 The New Daily Message to Coles, Woolworths: Act now to end modern slavery
2019 The Equal Times The long and winding road to respecting workers’ rights in supply chains
2018 SBS The Feed Opinion: 'Corporate Social Responsibility' Is a Band-Aid for a Broken System
2017 The Conversation How to stop businesses stealing from their employees
2016 Sydney Morning Herald Australian government slow to respond to supply chain labour exploitation
2016 The Conversation Companies prefer ticking boxes to breaking the glass ceiling
2016 Pro Bono Australia Australian Government Must Protect Vulnerable Workers in Supply Chains
2016 Australian Financial Review Andrew Forrest calls on government to lead regional response against slavery
2015 The Conversation Australia's banking four pillars wobbly on sustainability record
2015 The Guardian Australian fashion retailers have supply chains that risk exploitation, audit finds
2015 The Guardian Cracking down on migrant workers isn't how to hold supermarkets to account
2014 Pro Bono Australia Tackling the Myths Around Child Labor
2013 The Conversation Global supply chains link us all to shame of child and forced labour
2013 The Conversation Mind the gap: company disclosure discrepancies not sustainable

Professional affiliations

2020+: Member of the Australian Universities Procurement Network (AUPN) Modern Slavery Program Academic Advisory Board
2018+: Member of Cleaning Accountability Framework Certification Committee
2014 - 2015: Member of the Federal Attorney-General ’s Department Supply Chains Working Group

Community engagement

2022 - Australian Catholic Anti-Slavery Network - Invited to speak about the new modern slavery programs at UNDA and about the report ‘paper promises’
2021 - Australian Human Rights Commission and Vietnamese Chamber of Commerce - Topic: Sharing experience in research and teaching responsible business and human rights at business school in Australia
2020 - BAD Sydney Crime Writers Festival - Invited to speak about book “Addressing Modern Slavery”
2020 - Adelaide Writers Festival - Invited to speak about book “Addressing Modern Slavery”
2019 - Organ Transplants and Crimes Against Humanity in China: an Australian Issue - Public event organised by International Coalition to End Transplant Abuse in China
2019 - Eradicating Modern Slavery from Catholic Supply Chains Conference - Event organised by the Catholic Archdiocese in Sydney
2015 - UTS Think: Responsible Supply Chains - Public lecture organised by UTS Business School
2014 - Ethical Supply Chains - Public event organised by Anti-Slavery Australia

Industry engagement

2021 - Monash MBA Alumni Thought Leadership Series - Invited to speak about book “Addressing Modern Slavery”
2020 - Australasian Centre for Corporate Responsibility –Report Launch - Expert speaker at webinar as part of report launch “Labour Hire & Contracting Across the ASX100”
2020 - NSW Legal Scholars Association Conference - Invited to speak about modern slavery.
2019 - A practical guide to the Modern Slavery Regime - Event for practitioners organised by Anti-Slavery Australia
2019 - Multistakeholder Initiatives in Addressing Labour Abuses in Supply Chains Internal seminar at Commonwealth Bank of Australia
2018 - The Use of Blockchain in Supply Chains to Address Modern Slavery Internal seminar at The Iconic

Funding and awards

Funding:

"Improving the Regulation of Modern Slavery and Access to Remedy. Learning from Experience", funded by the National Security and Criminal Justice Program ($177,741)
"Strategies for improving labour conditions within the Australian cotton value chain", funded by the Cotton Research Development Corporation ($127,351)
"Enforcing Labour Standards in Supply Chains through Multi-Stakeholder Collaboration", funded by the Australian Research Council ($230,000)

Awards:

2020: UTS Distilling Research Impact Initiative ($7,500 of in-kind support to showcase research);
2020: The Centre for Business and Social Innovation – Research Impact Award
2018:UTS Postgraduate Business Prize for Excellence in Teaching

Other

Research Reports:

Payne, A., Boersma, M. et al (2022 – Forthcoming). Critical labour conditions in the cotton value chain. Queensland University of Technology and University of Technology Sydney.
Sinclair, A., et.al (2022). Paper Promises? Evaluating the impact of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act. Business and Human Rights Resources Centre & Australian Human Rights Law Centre.
Boersma, M. Do No Harm? (2017). Procurement of Medical Goods by Australian Companies and Government. Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation & The Australia Institute.
O’Brien, B. & Boersma, M. (2016) Human Rights in the Supply Chains of Australian Businesses: Opportunities for Legislative Reform. The Australia Institute and Catalyst Australia.
Boersma, M. G Lynch, JA Schofield (2014). Child Labour: Everybody’s Business. Catalyst Australia Submissions to Government Inquiries:

Government Submissions:

Nolan, J. & Boersma, M. (2021). Submission to the Customs Amendment (Banning Goods Produced by Uyghur Forced Labour) Bill.
Boersma, M. & Nolan, J. (2020) Submission to “National Action Plan to Combat Modern Slavery 2020-24: Public Consultation”
Kaine, S., Josserand, E., Rawling, M., Boersma, M. & Johns, K. (2020) “Inquiry into unlawful underpayment of employees’ remuneration”. Economics References Committee.
Nolan, J. & Boersma, M. (2019) Submission to Inquiry into Modern Slavery Act 2018 and Associated Matters. Legislative Council Standing Committee on Social Issues, Parliament of NSW
Kaine, S., Rawling, M., Josserand, E., Boersma, M., Johns, K. & Ryan, R. (2018). Commonwealth Senate Education and Employment Committee 2018, “Submission to Inquiry into the Exploitation of General and Specialist Cleaners Working in Retail chains for contracting or subcontracting cleaning companies”.

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