In 2019, researchers Lührmann and Lindberg from the field of political sciences proclaimed that a “third wave of autocratization” has arrived. We take this as a starting point to explore to what extent the business ethics literature has been so far addressing non-democratic regimes. For this purpose, we conduct a broad and comprehensive literature review utilizing a quantitative scoping review. We supplement this review with a more detailed preliminary analysis of a representative subsample of publications to identify potential research and knowledge gaps and provide directions for future research. 

Alicia Hennig is a Senior Research Fellow at the Institute for Security and Development Policy in Stockholm. Her work focuses on business ethics and political science, particularly corporate responsibility in authoritarian contexts such as China. She also advises universities and institutions on research security related to China and has briefed organizations including NATO and the FBI.