In a 2017 World Bank survey involving more than 750 executives from multinational corporations, political stability and the regulatory environment came out top as a key factor that affects investment decisions in emerging markets. In a globalized world with cross-border trade and investments, companies have become increasingly more exposed to risks associated with changes in the rules, regulations and social pressures from the countries they operate in or trade with.

Managing in a global economy requires knowledge of political institutions and incentives that affect business operations such as regulatory changes and expropriations. Decision makers including directors of companies and senior management need to monitor political risks. In some cases, they may need to deploy social or “non-market” strategies as a form of business advocacy.

This program will explore frameworks as well as examples to understand the interaction between politics and the economy. It will also explore mapping political risks to investments, and consider how to devise appropriate strategies to respond to and reduce risks coming from political factors.