Transnational corporations are for-profit entities that conduct business in more than one country (sales,
distribution, extraction, manufacturing, research, development) and make business decisions based on
transnational alternatives. The objective of this week’s assignment is to understand transnational
corporations as carriers of globalization.
(1) Select a large transnational corporation (choose any one you’d like, look at the Fortune 500 if you need
ideas). Identify its main business, and identify three countries where it does major production and three
countries where it has major consumers.
(2) Research the history of the corporation you’ve selected. When and why did it first begin to locate
production in more than one country, and when and why did it first began to seek consumers in more than
one country?
(3-option 1) Search the New York Times Article Archive for the earliest mention of your transnational
corporation. When did it begin to make news, and what was the news it made?
(3-option 2) Consider the impact of COVID-19 on your transnational corporation. Will it reduce or extend
its transnational reach? (If you need food for thought, Google what is the impact of COVID-19 on my
transnational corporation?)
Sample Solution
