Human rights policy effectiveness: operational determinants and the mediating role of the CSR committee

Purpose This study analyses the factors that determine the effectiveness of corporate human rights policies in large European companies. Design/methodology/approach The analysis was based on a sample of 1,208 large European companies. This study examines the extent to which the integration of human rights criteria into supply chain management, stakeholder engagement, the strategic inclusion of corporate social responsibility (CSR), and the adoption of business ethics tools contribute to the effectiveness of human rights policies. Additionally, the study assesses the mediating role of the CSR committee in some of the relationships. Findings The results show that all practices analysed have a positive impact on the effectiveness of companies' human rights policies. The CSR committee fully mediates the relationship between the strategic integration of CSR and policy effectiveness and partially mediates the impact of business ethics instruments. These findings underscore the central role of CSR committees in operationalising corporate commitments to human rights. Originality/value This study provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of corporate human rights policies, going beyond their mere adoption and examining their actual implementation. This study extends the existing literature on this topic by providing theoretical and practical contributions, along with suggestions for future research. The study also directly ties Institutional Theory, Political CSR, and Resource Dependence theories into its results.