My research straddles comparative and international politics and political economy, with a special focus on business and politics, comparative capitalism, labour politics and institutional analysis. I also have a long-standing interest in post-communist politics in Central and Eastern Europe, Russia and China. My research has appeared in World Politics, Comparative Political Studies, Politics & Society, New Political Economy and various other journals and edited volumes. My current research focuses on three key areas.

First, I work on topics related to business and politics, such as the relationship between business and the global rise of populism. My book Business and Populism: The Odd Couple (co-edited with Glenn Morgan) was published by Oxford University Press in 2023. This book and related research projects examine the political role of business and business associations in shaping and responding to the challenges of populism.

Secondly, I have a long-standing interest in the institutional foundations of capitalism, and I have published widely on the diversity of capitalist institutions. My book on Comparative Capitalism; A Global Perspective (Bloomsbury, 2025) provides an overview of this research programme.

Thirdly, I co-ordinate two projects with colleagues based in the UK and Europe. The first project is on practical social democracy  and  develops a novel approach to social democratic parties as organisations. The other project examines the role of narratives in shaping China-Europe relations, including their impact on global politics and political economy. This research is supported by the EU-funded COST network on China-in-Europe (CHERN).