The Growth of Transnational Corporations and Its Impact on Countries Around the World

Multinational Corporation - business enterprise with manufacturing, sales, or service subsidiaries in one or more foreign countries, also known as a transnational or international corporation. These corporations originated early in the 20th century and proliferated after World War II.

As well as the fact that their trade deficit is 4,899 USD millions, with a reasonable interest rate and inflation of 1.8% economically they are doing quite well when being compared to the U.S. As a matter of fact their inflation rate is not the same but with-in the same range for most years throughout the last 10 years. (Trading Economics, South Korean Balance of Trade, n.d) (Aneki.com, Ranking and Records, United States vs. Korea South) (Inflation.eu, Worldwide Inflation Data, Inflation South Korea 2012, n.d) (Global Rates Com, Fed Federal Funds Rate, American Central Bank’s Interest rate, n.d) (UN Data. A World of Information, Per Capita GDP at Current Prices USD, South Korea) (Index Mundi, Unemployment Rate South Korea, Historical Data Graphs per year) (U.S. Inflation Calculator, Current U.S. Inflation Rate 2003-2013,) (Inflation.eu, World Wide Inflation Data, Historical Inflation south Koreas – CPI Inflation)

Following the Korean War and the rebuilding of their societies, both North Korea and South Korea’s economies have depreciated and fluctuated. With their different economic systems, one using the military and the other using trade, they both have received different results.

They targeted specific industries for development and the first were textiles and light manufacturing then to iron, steel, and chemicals(Yu, Lew). By joining the “Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development”(Yu, Lew) to advance to the next level of economic growth(Yu, Lew). South Korea obtained all parameters; political, military, and economic from the U.S and recovered from the Asian financial crisis in 1997. On the other hand, North Korea developed a government having a highly centralized political system. North Korea developed into the most isolated and controlled state showing no sign of both political and economic

Social stratification implies the separation of a given populace into progressively superimposed classes. It is showed in the presence of upper and lower social layer. Its premise comprises in an unequal conveyance of rights and benefits, obligations and duties, social esteems, social power and impacts among the individuals from a general public. No general public is unstratified. Stratification includes the dissemination of unequal rights and benefits among the individuals from a general public. Social stratification is the division of society into lasting gatherings or classes connected with each other by the relationship of prevalence and subordination.

Globalization has been a process underway for hundreds, if not thousands, of years. From the Roman Empire, to caravans on the Spice Road, to the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the process of connecting the globe in an interdependent web has been underway for a long time. Today, it seems that this process has been quickly accelerated. Since the end of World War II and the rebuilding effort that followed it, global development has increased at an intense rate fueled by transnational corporations, the World Bank, and the International Monetary Fund. These multilateral organizations have transformed our global economy and reshaped our society.

TNCs dominate industrial production including manufacturing and services, therefore further dividing the gap between the rich and the poor, and being the main leader of globalisation as a consequence.

Businesses today operate an environment that differs greatly from anytime millennia, centuries or even decades ago. The pace of businesses has increased exponentially with the continuous improvement of information technology, telecommunications and geolocation supported by satellites and progressively more efficient modes of transportation and mechanization. The ability to move products globally overnight, increasing levels of automation, and collaboration instantaneously via virtual means has forever changed and reduced traditional barriers businesses face while creating a myriad of new challenges, risks and opportunities.

The inevitable growth of globalisation over the past few decades has gradually created the occurrence we now know as the “Trans-national Corporation (TNCs)”. This essay will aim to the highlight and explain the situation in which nation states are continually being reformed by these TNCs.

Analysts agree that TNCs have altered the international relations principles that were once dominated by nation-state relations (Kline, 2005).Transnational Corporations have in many ways exploited the weaknesses in the territorially guarded national laws. In many developing countries, organizations affiliated to external control have challenged and in some instances threatened government sovereignty. Economically stable countries such as the United States of America, have attempted to extend their influence to other countries of the world through TNC. This situation is what led to governments endorsing the non-interference policy in national political affairs (United Nations, 2003). Interesting to note is the role that non-governmental organizations played in this debate. Nongovernmental organizations have been known to not only exert political pressure on governments with little democratic space, but also collaborate with TNCs in this quest. (Heinrich, 2001). For example, many NGOs sort the active involvement of TNC in removal of the apartheid regime in South Africa. This in return, has created tension between these governments and the NGOs with the NGOs calling for the increased political involvement of the TNCs.

This has to be taken in the context of the considerable global recession that has been in play since 2008, the results from which North Korea was largely shielded due to its insularity. In general terms, the North Korean economy is still far poorer than most other Asian nations.

The present South Korean economy is an extreme contrast from its post-civil war economy. It was then a backward and desolate economy relying primarily on agriculture as economic driver. It has limited natural resources with only about 30% arable land, considered by experts as the smallest in the world, which made sustaining the economy very difficult. Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the early 1960s was reportedly below those of some Latin American and sub-Saharan African countries, India and even Haiti. Because of such poor economic performance, unemployment and underemployment were high that resulted in widespread poverty across its overpopulated territory. South Korea had to rely on aids from the United States and the West in order to provide food, jobs, shelter and other basic necessities for survival. Very few experts during that time were optimistic that South Korea will be able to resuscitate its slumped economy.

This essay’s thesis is that there is currently a lack legal apparatuses that can be used to hold transnational corporations liable for human rights violations; specifically violation of labour rights. This paper seeks to discuss various legal instruments that are applicable to transnational corporations and human rights violations. It will also provide theoretical framework for understanding the nature of human rights and legal framework of labour laws. This essay will address the following questions: What is the legal status of transnational corporations? How can current legal apparatuses be used to hold transnational corporations accountable for human rights violations? This essay will also consider the case of human right violations by Nike Corporation in order to show that external pressures can produce development and accountability.

Events in resent history have made a clear statement to the executives of the world that Globalization and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) are tightly linked in projecting a positive brand image. Most of the negative publicity surrounding the globalization debate is directed at one key area, the perceived lack of corporate social responsibility in the business culture of the developed world. The European Commission defines Corporate Social Responsibility as, “a concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis."(European) As the heat is turned up on firms,

global knowledge of consumer demands for services as well as products in a world scale, the