Measuring Geopolitics: The Promise and Limits of UNGA Voting Data for IB Research

This episode tackles the "Geopolitical Puzzle," investigating how researchers use everything from United Nations voting records to global news sentiment and trade sanctions to track the world's shifting alliances. You'll learn why a simple "yes" or "no" at the UN can reveal a country’s long-term loyalties, even when quick-moving news headlines suggest a different story. Finally, we explore why understanding these complex diplomatic ties is part of the new survival skill for any business trying to navigate the high-stakes friction of 21st-century global politics. Citation: Adarkwah, G.K., Sabel, C.A. & Zilja, F.(2026). Measuring geopolitics: the promise and limits of UNGA voting data for IB research. Journal of International Business Policy 9, 102–123. https://doi.org/10.1057/s42214-025-00237-3