1. Transnational Corporations

2. TNCs
Just from thinking about what you are wearing or have in your bag, it is clear that they were manufactured in a variety of countries, this is a really good example of globalisation
How many countries can we list just from what you have on you today?

3. How are TNC organised?
TNC may build there businesses up by buying foreign firms in mergers or acquisitions
Manufacturing work is subcontracted to third parties which makes it hard to enforce working conditions in factories where global brands are made
Most manufacturing TNCs are assembly industries which rely on a chain of suppliers
The car industry is a perfect example of how a production line relies on thousands of different parts that are then assembled in one location. The car industry was also the first real TNC when Henry Ford started mass producing cars on an assembly line over a 100 years ago

4. Can we map TNCs?
Russia
China
It is incredibly difficult to map the geography of a TNC
This is because the largest TNCs often have offices, factories or shops in every country
Because of these complex networks, it is important to remember that TNCs still have to belong to somewhere i.e. they are registered to a particular place
Although TNCs may operate all over the world, most TNCs promote common patterns of consumption i.e. they sell the same, or similar product everywhere. Though they may tweek the products slightly
French Canada
Argentina

5. So lets look at an example of a TNC
Tesco is not just located in the UK (as I’m guessing many of you had thought!)
It is now a global empire worth around £67 billion a year

6. Tesco Troubles
This is Tesco’s latest venture – a health food chain in the USA
So far invested $700 million
Initial sales were down by a reported 70%
It is also believed that due to this investment Tesco is now struggling to compete with the growth Asda has seen in the UK

7. Are TNCs a good thing?
There are different opinions about whether TNCs actually benefit or hinder countries in which they operate
As well as just countries, we need to think globally, and what differing opinions there are about their effect around the world