This course examines transnational corporations (TNCs) as global political-economic actors. It introduces students to an interdisciplinary framework for analysing how TNCs exercise power across borders, drawing on international political economy, postcolonial thought and critical management studies.

A central organising lens is a three-dimensional model of TNC power - economic, political and ideological - which students use to interrogate how firms shape global production, influence states and regulatory environments, and construct narratives that legitimise particular forms of globalisation. Rather than treating TNCs as neutral business organisations, the course explores how they act as institutions that structure global economic relations and contribute to the reproduction of global North-South inequalities.

Teaching combines lectures with structured in-class discussion and case-based analysis. Examples are drawn from a wide range of global contexts to ensure an inclusive and international perspective. Students develop the analytical tools needed to critically evaluate the societal impact of transnational firms and to understand their role in constructing the contemporary world economy. The course supports graduate attributes related to critical thinking, interdisciplinary analysis and an international perspective on power and inequality in global business.

6 x 2 hour lectures

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1. Report; Individual; 1700 words; 100%; ILOs 1-5.

This course aims to:

■ To develop a critical understanding of transnational firms as global political-economic.

■ To analyse how TNCs exercise economic, political and ideological power across borders and how these forms of power shape globalisation and global inequalities.

■ To equip students with interdisciplinary analytical tools to evaluate the societal impact of TNCs and their role in structuring the contemporary world economy.

By the end of this course students should be able to:

1. Explain key theories and perspectives on the economic, political and ideological power of transnational firms.

2. Analyse how transnational firms shape global production, governance and narratives of globalisation.

3. Critically evaluate the societal impacts of transnational firm activity using interdisciplinary concepts from international political economy and postcolonial thought.

4. Apply theoretical perspectives to real-world cases to assess how transnational firms contribute to global inequalities and the construction of globalisation.

5. Develop coherent, evidence-based arguments that integrate theory, empirical cases and critical analysis.