Anais
Resumo do trabalho
Gestão Socioambiental · Sustentabilidade e Desempenho das Organizações
Título
MAKING THE INVISIBLE VISIBLE: EXPLORING THE DRIVERS AND OUTCOMES OF HUMAN RIGHTS REPORTING IN LATIN AMERICA
Palavras-chave
Human Rights
Corporate Governance
Latin America
Agradecimento:
This work was partially supported by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brazil (CAPES) – grant number 001.
Autores
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Alan Bandeira PinheiroNEOMA Business School
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José Vitor Palhares dos SantosUNIVERSIDADE FEDERAL DE MINAS GERAIS (UFMG)
Resumo
Introdução
Human rights disclosure is increasingly recognized as a key component of corporate sustainability. In regions like Latin America, where labor abuses, inequality, and weak enforcement remain critical issues, such reporting plays a vital role in enhancing organizational transparency. It also contributes to stakeholder engagement, risk management, and the promotion of social accountability in corporate behavior.
Problema de Pesquisa e Objetivo
The present article aims to analyze the drivers and the outcomes of human rights reporting in Latin America. This research seeks to understand whether internal factors—such as board gender diversity, board independence, and board skills —encourage firms to engage in human rights reporting, as well as the potential impacts of such reporting on corporate reputation and market value.
Fundamentação Teórica
Guided by Agency Theory and Expectancy Violation Theory, we constructed five research hypotheses. Agency Theory supports the idea that diverse and independent boards reduce information asymmetry and foster transparency. Expectancy Violation Theory explains how stakeholder expectations and perceived legitimacy are shaped by disclosure practices, impacting firm outcomes.
Metodologia
The study examines 416 large Latin American firms using a mixed-method approach. Panel data regression identifies linear effects of governance characteristics on human rights disclosure and its consequences, while fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA) uncovers complex causal configurations. By combining quantitative and qualitative methods, the study offers a comprehensive understanding of both the drivers and outcomes of human rights reporting.
Análise dos Resultados
The results show that gender diversity and board independence significantly improve disclosure levels. Human rights disclosure by companies increases their market value and corporate reputation. The findings also reveal ways to improve the quality of human rights reporting in Latin America.
Conclusão
Human rights reporting helps make visible the often-invisible abuses in corporate settings. Board composition plays a critical role in advancing transparency. Disclosure yields both reputational and financial benefits, strengthening the business case for ethical governance in Latin America.
Contribuição / Impacto
To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to analyze human rights disclosure in Latin America. This study expands theoretical knowledge on transparency in emerging markets. We highlight how human rights disclosure can increase the legitimacy of organizations, and the findings also support policymaking aimed at promoting responsible business conduct.
Referências Bibliográficas
Hickel, J., Hanbury Lemos, M., & Barbour, F. (2024). Unequal exchange of labour in the world economy. Nature Communications, 15(1), 6298.
Morán‐Muñoz, A., Fernández‐Gago, R., & Godos‐Díez, J. (2024). The Impact of Board Gender and Nationality Diversity on Corporate Human Rights Performance in Different Institutional Contexts. Corporate Governance: An International Review.
Rubino, M., & Mastrorocco, I. (2025). Exploring the influence of board structure and composition on respect for human rights. Social Responsibility Journal, 21(2), 301–319.
Morán‐Muñoz, A., Fernández‐Gago, R., & Godos‐Díez, J. (2024). The Impact of Board Gender and Nationality Diversity on Corporate Human Rights Performance in Different Institutional Contexts. Corporate Governance: An International Review.
Rubino, M., & Mastrorocco, I. (2025). Exploring the influence of board structure and composition on respect for human rights. Social Responsibility Journal, 21(2), 301–319.