Accounting for Corporate Human Rights: Literature Review and Future Insights

Abstract

This paper examines previous literature on accounting for corporate human rights (AHR) to identify the main research themes and development, conduct critical evaluations and open up new pathways towards future research. A structured literature review was conducted using 164 relevant published journal articles. Data were from the Scopus database over the last 22 years. The majority of research on AHR focuses on strategy/management and non-discrimination themes, with little research in other areas such as child labour. Research in this field is at an early stage, with more focus on adoption and implementation issues. There is a need for more in-depth and grounding analysis on the power networks among participants in broader institutional systems to provide more understanding of the underlying mechanisms. This paper discusses several suggestions such as alternative accounting and networking models to support the field, debates possible remedies to overcome drawbacks and presents options for future research. Several useful practical implications are provided for academics, corporate managers and regulators to bridge the gap between accounting and human rights practices and to enhance corporate social responsibility.