Professors

Samentha GOETHALS

Assistant Professor

Droits Humains, Travailleurs immigrants, Refugiers, Responsabilité des entreprises pour les droits humains, Sensemaking, Framing analysis, Human rights education in business schools

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Samentha GOETHALS

Academy

Globalization

Research center

SKEMA Centre for Sustainability Studies

Location

Sophia Antipolis

Discipline

Law & Humanities

Dr Samentha Goethals is Assistant Professor in Business and Society at SKEMA Business School. She holds a PhD in Politics from Oxford Brookes University. She has developed an interdisciplinary research profile combining perspectives from socio-legal, global governance and organization studies that reflect her experience in both policy and advocacy work and academic research in the field of Business and Human Rights. Her research focuses on the meaning and translation of human rights in business organizations, the responsibility of business in contexts of forced migration including regarding the protection and integration of refugees, and human rights education in business schools. She has worked with several British Non-Governmental Organizations in the field of Business and Human Rights and co-authored several policy reports based on fieldwork in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Turkey and Jordan. Her recent article ‘Migrant Workers’ ‘Rights-Talk’ in the British Hospitality Sector’ was awarded the 2019 Best Paper by the Business and Human Rights Journal.

Education
2016
Ph.D. in Politics, Oxford Brookes University, Great Britain
2011
Master in International Law and Interntional Relations, Oxford Brookes University, Great Britain
2010
BA in International Relations with Religion, Culture and Ethics, Oxford Brookes University, Great Britain
2005
Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA), University of Cambridge, Great Britain
Experience
Full-time academic positions
Since 2024
Visiting Faculty, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
Since 2023
Visiting Faculty, Global Campus of Human Rights, Italy
Since 2022
Visiting Faculty, University of Seville, Spain
Since 2020
Assistant Professor, SKEMA Business School, France
2019
Visiting Faculty, Copenhagen Business School, Denmark
2017 - 2020
Post-Doctoral Researcher, Oxford Brookes University, Great Britain
Other professional experiences
Since 2021
Book Review Editor Business and Human Rights Journal, Cambridge University Press, Great Britain
2016 - 2017
Senior Researcher, Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, Great Britain
2015 - 2016
Researcher and policy analyst (Consultant), Amnesty International, Great Britain
2007 - 2015
Researcher and Policy Analyst, RAID - Rights and Accountability in Development, Great Britain
2005 - 2012
Teacher of English and Literacy, Oxford Community School, Great Britain
Research grants, Awards and Honors
Awards and Honors
2020
2019 Best Article Awards, Business and Human Rights Journal
2011
Postgraduate Taught to Postgraduate Research Prize in IR, Politics and Sociology
2011
Prize for outstanding contribution to the course
2010
Westminster Institute Prize for best undergraduate student in Religion and Theology, Westminster Institute
2009
Ruth Cornwall-Jones Memorial Prize for excellent work in Religion and Theology, Ruth Cornwall-Jones Memorial
Other research activities
Co-Editor
Since 2024
Springer Book Series
Co-Editor
Since 2023
Business and Human Rights Journal
Reviewer for:
Human Relations, Journal of Business Ethics, Organization
Organization of a conference or a research seminar
2023
Guest lecture and workshop for European Master on Democracy and Human Rights, Global Campus of Human Rights , Italy
2023
Guest lecture - Implementing human rights in business, for visiting students from West Virginia University, West Virginia University, Switzerland
2023
The Impact of Business and Society Scholarship and Teaching Symposium 2023 IABS Annual Meeting, University of Bath, Great Britain
Since 2020
Colloquium: Modern Slavery: Any of Your Business Education?, SKEMA Business School, France
2019
Business & Human Rights Research Workshop, Switzerland
2017
Cumberland Lodge Colloquium 24-25 September 2017, London : Social Cohesion in Times of Uncertainty, Great Britain
Affiliations
Since 2023
Governance Committee Teaching Business and Human Rights Forum, Teaching Business and Human Rights ForumTeaching Business and Human Rights Forum, United States of America
PhD Supervision
2023
SKEMA Business School, Post-graduate dissertation, Thesis director
2023
SKEMA Business School, Post-graduate dissertation, Thesis director
2023
SKEMA Business School, Post-graduate dissertation, Thesis director
2022
C. CLAUDIA MACAVEIU, Oxford Brookes University, PhD thesis, Thesis co-director
2022
SKEMA Business School, Post-graduate dissertation, Thesis director
2022
SKEMA Business School, Post-graduate dissertation, Thesis director
2022
SKEMA Business School, Post-graduate dissertation, Thesis director
2022
SKEMA Business School, Post-graduate dissertation, Thesis director
2021
SKEMA Business School, Post-graduate dissertation, Thesis director
2021
SKEMA Business School, Post-graduate dissertation, Thesis director
2021
SKEMA Business School, Post-graduate dissertation, Thesis director
Other academic activities
Since 2024
AOM Mentor for early career researchers and global south scholars in Business and Human Rights, Academy of Management Meeting, United States of America
Since 2024
Book co-editor
2023
Workshop at Summer School Business and Human Rights in Practice, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg , Germany
2023
GBSN-ILO-GSEM Workshop to develop a pedagogical tool on fair recruitment of migrant workers for business school, International Labour Organization, Switzerland
2022 - 2025
Member of Ethics Committee, Horizon Europe Project REBALANCE, University of Pisa, Italy
Since 2022
Master thesis jury committee, European Masters in Democracy and Human Rights, Global Campus of Human Rights, Italy
2022
Member of consortium for DILIGENCE EU MSCA Industrial Doctoral Training Grant Application, SKEMA Business School, France
2022
Member of consortium for PARADIGM, EU HORIZON 2022 Grant Application, SKEMA Business School, France
Since 2022
Visiting Fellow, Dept of Law, University of Seville, Spain
Since 2022
Comite de Pilotage Academie 5, Universite Cote D'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur, France
Since 2021
Book Review Editor
Since 2021
From Research to Action on Human trafficking, Forced labour and Child Labour, Grant reviewer, International Labour Organization, Switzerland
2021 - 2023
Membre du COPIL, Académie 5, Université Cote d'Azur, Université Côte d'Azur, France
Since 2020
Visiting Fellow, Oxford Brookes University, Great Britain
Since 2019
Associate Fellow, Centre for Business, Human Rights and the Environment, Portugal

Peer-reviewed journal articles

CLAUDIA MACAVEIU, C., CODINA SOTOMAYOR, R., GOETHALS, S. and REBECCA , H. (2024). Conceiving and addressing modern slavery in the events sector. A narrative analysis of corporate reporting. Event Management.
GOETHALS, S. (2019). Exploring Migrants Employees' 'Rights-Talk' in the British Hospitality Sector. Business and Human Rights Journal, 4(2), pp. 287-315.
GOETHALS, S. (2019). Tim Bartley, Rules without Rights – Land, Labor and Private Authority in the Global Economy. Business and Human Rights Journal, 4(2), pp. 373-376.
GOETHALS, S., BARDWELL, J., BHACKER, M. and EZZELARAB, B. (2017). Business Human Rights Responsibility for Refugees and Migrant Workers: Turning Policies into Practice in the Middle East. Business and Human Rights Journal, 2(2), pp. 1-8.

Conference proceedings

GOETHALS, S. (2023). Researching refugees human rights and business human rights responsibility in Turkish garment supply. International Association of Business and Society .
GOETHALS, S. (2022). Human Rights Due Diligence and migrant workers in the construction sector in Qatar.

Book chapters

GOETHALS, S. (2024). Business and Human Rights as a field of organizational innovation. In: Päivi Eriksson, Tero Montonen, Pikka-Maaria Laine, Anna Heikkinen eds. Elgar Encyclopedia of Innovation Management. 1st ed. Edward Elgar Publishing.
GOETHALS, S. (2024). Workers' rights. In: Lee Matthew, Claire Ingram, Lara Bianchi eds. Concise Encyclopedia of Corporate Social Responsibility. 1st ed. Edward Elgar Publishing, pp. 243-248.
GOETHALS, S. (2023). Development responses to forced migration: New intersecting human rights responsibilities for business. In: Tricia Olsen, Harry Van Buren, Judith Schrempf Stirling eds. A research agenda for Business and Human Rights. 1st ed. Edward Elgar Publishing.

Book reviews

ALEXANDRA COSIMA BUDABIN, A., GOETHALS, S., LISA ANN RICHEY, L., RÓISÍN READ, R., POLLY PALLISTER-WILKINS, P. and JOEL R. PRUCE, J. (2022). Book Review Forum Batman Saves the Congo: How Celebrities Disrupt the Politics of Development. Journal of Humanitarian Affairs.

Conference presentations

GOETHALS, S. and LINDER, C. (2024). Responsibility in Sustainability Transition - A Conceptual Model to Address Structural Injustice. In: Academy of Management Annual Meeting. Chicago.
GOETHALS, S. (2023). Fostering employment and employability of refugees: Collaborations and Partnerships. In: IESEG , Workshop: Fostering refugee inclusion. Paris.
GOETHALS, S. (2023). The Impact of Business and Society Scholarship and Teaching: Researching Refugee Integration in Turkish Garment Sector. In: International Association of Business & Society (IABS) 2023. Bath.
GOETHALS, S. and CINAR, C. (2021). Solidarity through informality: Reconsidering Syrian refugees' agency in the labour market in Turkey. In: World Conference of Humanitarian Studies. Paris.
GOETHALS, S. (2021). Teaching Business and Human Rights in a Business Schools and integrating intersectional perspectives in courses. In: GBSN and Business and Human Rights Teaching Network, Gender Track Workshop. Nottingham.
BRIGHT, C. and GOETHALS, S. (2020). Human rights due diligence under Kafala rule: Towards migrant workers' freedoms to work, move, and access justice? In: International Association of Business & Society (IABS). Lisbon.
GOETHALS, S. (2019). Turning a crisis into an opportunity: Mobilizing or responsibilizing business or both? In: Copenhagen Business School. Copenhagen.
GOETHALS, S. (2019). The role of businesses as agents in regard to migration crises: Current knowledge, and future research for solutions. In: Copenhagen Business School. Copenhagen.
GOETHALS, S. (2019). Exploring Migrant Employees' 'Rights-Talk' in the British Hospitality Sector. In: UK Business Human Rights Scholars' Network Meeting. London.
GOETHALS, S., KONING, J. and NOORTMANN, M. (2018). Positionality and sensemaking of human rights responsibility in the British hospitality sector. In: BAM (British Academy of Management) Conference. Bristol.
GOETHALS, S. (2018). Multi-level framing analysis and its uses in business and management research. In: BAM (British Academy of Management) Conference. Bristol.
GOETHALS, S. (2018). When Corporate Human Rights Responsibility takes a 'positive' turn: Ensuring access to decent work for Syrian refugees in garment supply-chains in Turkey and Jordan. In: Global Business and Human Rights research workshop. Geneva.
GOETHALS, S. (2018). When Corporate Human Rights Responsibility takes a 'positive' turn: Ensuring access to decent work for Syrian refugees in garment supply-chains in Turkey and Jordan. In: Business and Human Rights Conference, New York University Stern Business School. New York.
GOETHALS, S. (2016). It's about treating your employees well' but 'I disappear behind my mop!' Framing Human Rights and Business Responsibility in the Hotel Sector in London. In: 1st PhD Summit on Business and Human Rights, St Gallen University. St Gallen.
GOETHALS, S. and CHAMBERS, R. (2015). Procedural and substantial barriers to remedy: A critical examination of the processes and decisions of the UK National Contact Point under the OECD Guidelines for Multinational Enterprises. In: Critical Legal Conference. Wroclaw.
GOETHALS, S. (2015). It's a Farce!' Methodological Dilemmas and the Politics of Evidence in the Field of Human Rights and Business Responsibility. In: Crisis and Conflict, Human and Social Sciences Conference. Oxford.
GOETHALS, S. and HURLEY, M. (2014). (Dis)Comfort Zones: Interdisciplinary Reflections on Authority, Vulnerability and Space in the Research Process. In: Humanities and Social Sciences Symposium. Oxford.
GOETHALS, S. (2014). Hombre! I Disappear Behind My Mop!': Misrecognition as Insecurity. In: Human Security @ 20 Conference. Oxford.
GOETHALS, S. (2013). Asking the 'Rights' Question: Early Reflection on Approaching Fieldwork with Hotel Managers and Migrant Workers. In: International Conference on Social Responsibility, Ethics and Sustainable Business. Bournemouth.
GOETHALS, S. (2013). Multi-stakeholders norm-making and neo-liberal governance: The Case of the UN Business and Human Rights Framework. In: Workshop on Neoliberal Legality. Oxford.

Faculty research seminar presentations

GOETHALS, S. (2023). Business and Human Rights: Principles, Governance and Organisation. In: European Master on Human Rights and Democratisation. Sevilla.
GOETHALS, S. (2023). Human Rights in Business: Principles, Governance and Organization. In: Master 2, Institut de Droit européen des Droits de l'Homme (IDEDH), Université de Montpellier. Montpellier.
GOETHALS, S. (2023). Human Rights in Business: Principles, Governance and Organization. In: Global Campus for Human Rights, European Master in Human Rights and Democracy, Week 7 Business, Human Rights and Development. Venise.
GOETHALS, S. (2023). Human Rights in Business: Principles, Governance and Organization. In: Summer School on Business and Human Rights , West Virginia University College of Law. Geneva.
GOETHALS, S. and BASTERRA, N. (2023). Participatory approaches to human rights due diligence: tools and processes. In: ECCHR, FAU and Tilburg University Summer School on Business and Human Rights in Practice. Nuremberg.

Press and social media

GOETHALS, S., BIANCHI, L., BURCU, O., KNAAK, B. and SHIVJI, A. (2023). Business school research on access to remedy for marginalised workers.
GOETHALS, S. (2022). Gender Research in Business Schools: a Human Rights Perspective. Nottingham: Knowledge, Engaged (The Institute for Policy and Engagement at the University of Nottingham), Great Britain.
GOETHALS, S. (2022). Business Human Rights Responsibility in contexts limiting the freedoms and rights of migrants. Lisbon: Centre for Business, Human Rights and the Environment, Nova School of Law , Portugal.