In a recent GRI publication, political, institutional, and cultural factors were correlated with the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us to hear from the authors of this study about what socio-political factors were of significance in predicting a country’s relative success in handling the ongoing pandemic.

The authors express the cultural properties of the countries analyzed using the Hofstede model of personal autonomy within a society (individualism), acceptance of hierarchical structures (power distance), and balance between tradition and modernism. Political dimensions in the study include respect for legislation (the rule of law), participation in decisions (democracy), and level of corruption.

Understanding the relationships between these factors may assist governments and regulators in better creating preventative and mitigating measures for future infectious disease outbreaks.

This GRI webinar will discuss:

• Can socio-political factors and ex-ante economic and geographical factors explain the spread and effects of the pandemic?
• How do higher-income countries perform better in keeping the virus spread at bay and managing the related economic fallout than low- or medium-income countries?
• What additional factors contribute to a country’s resilience to COVID-19? How would you expand your study?
• Are there specific combinations of social and political settings that favour or obstruct economic resilience to such an infectious disease pandemic?