In 2018, I obtained my Ph.D. in political science from the European University Institute (EUI). In my dissertation, titled ”Unity or Fracture? Explaining Political Preference Formation Among Large American, British, and German Firms” I studied corporate political preference formation. My research interests focus on corporate political activity, business power, political economy, and elites.
At the Institute for Futures Studies, I have previously worked within the research project ”Subterranean politics: The world and work of policy professionals”, which explored the growing category of professionals employed to influence politics without having a formal political mandate to do so.
In my current project – “Firms as Political Activists: The Scope and Nature of Corporate Political Responsibility” – I explore corporate lobbying on issues pertaining to cultural diversity, environmentalism, lifestyle choices, nationalism, and immigration. Since this type of political involvement neither addresses core operations of the firm nor offer clear and direct financial returns, it presents scholars with a puzzle.
