The building blocks of political risk research: a bibliometric co-citation analysis

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to summarise the core literature on political risk and to suggest avenues for future research. Design/methodology/approach - Applying bibliometric analysis as a starting point, this systematic review identifies the current core body of literature on political risk and uncovers the theoretical building blocks of the research field. Findings - A synthesis of the key literature reveals three broad analytical foci: the sources of political risk; the effects of political risk; and actors’ (countries, industries, firms and projects) vulnerabilities, capabilities and responses to political risk. Research limitations/implications - The authors propose a unifying conceptual framework for political risk research. Practical implications - The paper provides managers with a tool kit to analyse political risk. Moreover, it aids policy-makers in addressing political risk in a comprehensive manner. Originality/value - The paper represents the first systematic review of the political risk literature in over 30 years. By offering an integrated theoretical framework, it paves the way for new insights into an increasingly topical field.