THE NATURE OF THE RISK: PERCEPTIONS ACROSS G7 COUNTRIES REGARDING RISKS FROM INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY VERSUS THOSEARISING FROM CLIMATE CHANGE, 2022-2025

Today, the world is facing a world of risks. No matter the country, the riskiest elements are perceived to emanate from the realms of information technology and climate change. In this article, we look at how the nature of today’s risks are perceived across the G7 Nations - Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States – and how this can – and is – impacting strategic management decision-making. We begin with a look at how we individually and collectively process risk, and specifically, risks that are spurred both by information technology, specifically from cyberattacks and artificial intelligence, and by climate change in general and specifically, as it relates to extreme weather and forest fires and the destruction of natural habitats. Then, using a database constructed from the four years of existence of the Munich Security Index, we examine how the perception of both IT-related and climate-driven risks has elevated between 2022-2025 in the G7 countries, but with important intercountry differences and discrepancies between IT-related risks and those coming from “Mother Nature.” The results of this analysis and then discussed, along with directions for future research in this area and the implications of all of this for strategic management.