Research on Employment Compliance of Chinese Outbound Digital Platforms from an ESG Perspective

Leqi Li

doi:10.62177/chst.v2i3.568

Authors

Leqi Li Huazhong University of Science and Technology

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.62177/chst.v2i3.568

Keywords:

Chinese Overseas Enterprises, Digital Platform Labor, Labor Compliance, ESG

Abstract

As an institutional carrier of national governance modernization, corporate compliance governance serves as a critical practical pathway for advancing the comprehensive rule of law in China. Amid globalization, the importance of ESG standards has become increasingly prominent, and ESG compliance for overseas enterprises has become an inevitable trend. Chinese overseas enterprises face ESG compliance challenges in digital platform labor practices, including insufficient compliance motivation (prioritizing short-term gains), inadequate capacity (constrained by stringent legal environments), and covert algorithmic discipline with weak regulatory oversight. These issues stem from corporate resource deficiencies and labor alienation driven by algorithms. From an ESG perspective, the compliance boundaries of digital platform labor for Chinese overseas enterprises require a four-dimensional restructuring: shifting goals from profit-driven priorities to balancing multiple values; expanding governance actors to include governments and societal stakeholders; upgrading frameworks to incorporate algorithmic ethics reviews and third-party audits; and elevating compliance content to algorithmic ESG governance. Building on this, Chinese overseas enterprises urgently need to establish a three-dimensional (E-S-G) collaborative compliance path: Environmental (E)—developing green, low-carbon labor models; Social (S)—redefining algorithmic ethics through a "neutral algorithms, transparent accountability, compliance review" mechanism to clarify platform responsibilities; Governance (G)—implementing tiered disclosure mandates, establishing technology ethics committees, and fostering third-party multidimensional evaluations. This will drive the platform economy to transition from efficiency-first to value co-creation. For Chinese enterprises expanding globally, sustainable and steady growth must accompany their internationalization efforts.

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