Political Risk and Identity Lab Archives

The ESG Initiative presents an update to the POLCON dataset

Stock photo of an assortment of countries' flags blowing in the wind on a sunny day

The Wharton Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) Initiative is proud to present an update to the POLCON (POLitical CONstraint) dataset, including new data through the end of the year 2020. The POLCON measure, developed by Vice Dean and Faculty Director of the ESG Initiative Witold Henisz, is a quantitative measure of institutional constraints that uses a spatial model of political interaction and measures the feasibility of a change in policy given the structure of a nation’s political institutions.…Read More

Migration and Organizations Conference elevates the important relationship between migration and business

Person in suit raising their hand to ask a question during presentation

In its fifth edition on October 21 and 22, the 2022 Migration and Organizations Conference hosted by the Political Risk and Identity Lab gathered scholars from around the world to advance rigorous research that centers the role of firms in the conversation on migration.…Read More

The impact of board diversity on firms and the experience of Indigenous board members

Four people in suits gathered around table looking at laptops and passing documents

In Board Diversity: Literature Review and the Indigenous Experience, authors Gauri Subramania and Kalie Wertz summarize the robust literature studying the drivers and implications of board diversity on firms and share a case study constructed through interviews with 11 Indigenous-identifying individuals with board experience.…Read More

Needed: A COVID course correction

(Outlet: The Boston Globe) President Biden’s rebound case of COVID-19 has highlighted the continued public health threat posed by the rapidly spreading BA.5 variant. COVID infections are becoming more common, with cases spiking in most states just when population immunity is dropping.…Read More

Banks Far From Hitting Paris Climate Targets, Groups Warn

(Outlet: Washington Post) Vit Henisz comments on a new report about banks’ climate efforts.…Read More

How Should Companies Respond to ESG Issues?

(Outlet: Wharton Magazine) – How are companies responding to climate change, calls for corporate-board reform, and shifting expectations about their social responsibility? The annual Beyond Business series recently explored the complexities of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) issues through virtual discussions led by Dean Erika James.…Read More

Executive Pay Tied to ESG Goals Grows as Investors Demand Action

(Outlet: Bloomberg Law) – Chipotle, McDonalds, Caterpillar, and other companies are increasingly tying executive pay to environmental, social, and governance goals as more investors, regulators, and activists scrutinize corporate behavior.…Read More

Without Understanding Geopolitical Risk, How Can You Successfully Transform?

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the world. People, industries and governments have had to adjust to the new reality…Read More

How Companies Like the NBA Could Benefit From ‘Corporate Diplomacy’

(Outlet: Penn Today) – In a Q&A, Wharton Professor of Management Witold Henisz explains what went wrong with the NBA and Activision-Blizzard as they’ve found themselves mired in controversy over recent stances on China.…Read More

Why You Deed a Strategic Approach to Political Risk

Political risk is not new, but its context today is different and the risks more sustained and pervasive. The complexity of the geopolitical environment (what we call the ‘transformative age’ in geopolitics), challenges to globalization, and shifting “rules of the game” around global economic integration and expansion present significant systemic risks that are challenging for global companies to navigate.…Read More