Personal profile
Research interests
My research is concerned with the intersection of labour exploitation, corporate social responsibility, and critical forms of political economy. I have published in journals such as Capital & Class, Science & Society, and the Journal of Business Ethics. I am also a co-editor of the online magazine Futures of Work.
I have researched and published on unfree labour or modern slavery, which represent different aspects of how labour exploitation can be understood. This includes a focus on legislation such as the Modern Slavery Act, and evaluating its efficacy. Beyond this, I am also interested in corporate responses to this legislation, and in particular exploring the structural constraints actors and firms face in attempting to develop an ‘ethical’ set of practices around labour exploitation, and how actors respond to these.
Methodologically I use qualitative approaches to explore the above issues.
I welcome enquiries from potential doctoral researchers interested in any of the themes, methodologies, or perspectives above.
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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The Vertical Governance of Modern Slavery Risks in Supply Chains: A Social Exchange Theory Perspective
Pesterfield, C., 12 Feb 2026, In: Supply Chain Management. p. 1-13 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review
Open AccessFile7 Downloads (Pure) -
How to get started with pedagogic research (and actually publish it)
Khusainova, R., Kremantzis, M. D., Pesterfield, C. & Luo, X., 31 Oct 2025, Times Higher EducationResearch output: Other contribution
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Reopening the debate on Open Marxism: A Radical Historicist Alternative?
Pesterfield, C. & Pitts, H., 26 Feb 2025, In: Science & Society. 89, 1, p. 26-42 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review
Open Access50 Downloads (Pure)
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Shaping Modern Slavery Survivor-Informed Business Leadership
Pesterfield, C. (Principal Investigator)
26/01/26 → 27/04/26
Project: Consultancy
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Transformative Authenticity: Authentic Learning and Assessment for International Students in Business Schools
Pesterfield, C. (Principal Investigator) & Luo, X. (Co-Investigator)
1/07/24 → 3/03/25
Project: Research
Prizes
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ESRC Bristol Model Placement Award
Pesterfield, C. (Recipient), 6 Jan 2026
Prize: Prizes, Medals, Awards and Grants
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Transformative Authenticity: Authentic Learning and Assessment for International Students in Business Schools
Pesterfield, C. (Recipient) & Luo, X. (Recipient), 2 Jul 2024
Prize: Prizes, Medals, Awards and Grants
Thesis
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Reconceptualising responses to the UK’s 2015 Modern Slavery Act : a construction industry case study
Pesterfield, C. (Author), Johns, J. (Supervisor) & Pitts, H. (Supervisor), 6 Dec 2022Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis › Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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