The Brazilian Spring: Reconsidering Risk Assessment in Business and the Global Political Economy

Abstract

In June of 2013, Brazil saw a massive outbreak of public protests and demonstrations. The government‟s apathy in responding to demands for greater transparency and enhanced levels of public services, as well as increasing levels of corruption and opacity, lead to these public uprisings. This paper argued that emerging economies with a growing middle class, particularly those that do not pay heed to this emerging class and their needs, are bound to face “spring-type” events. Utilizing a case study “quadruple helix” framework, this paper conducted an institutional analysis of the Brazilian “Spring” movement. This analysis yielded a considerable set of descriptions that can enhance the way that “spring-type” events influence business, policy, and economic behavior. More specifically, this research contributed an institutional approach to scholarship on risk analysis and geo-political unrest, establishing new trajectories for future scholarship that places risk analysis in the context of international management and world political economy.