Global Corporations: Legal & Political Economic Issues (distance)

Each year the syllabus will likely draw on a range of issues simila to this indicative summary of its week by week subject focus.

Introduction - what is the corporation? What is its place in the current/contemporary global system of political economy?

Analysing the corporation:

Understanding corporate structures I: Political, legal and social history of the corporation

Understanding corporate structures II: Legal personality, limited liability, and the market for ownership

Mapping corporate relationships: Networks, contracts and markets the supply chain

Measuring the power and influence of corporations: Relative size, modes of influence and corporate power

Corporations in the global system:

Different ways of being a corporation: From supply chains to integrated conglomerates

The corporation and (international) taxation: Transfer pricing, off shore domiciles and corporate tax efficiency

The corporate (global) political economy and its discontents: Understanding the critics of the corporate sector

Is Corporate Social Responsibility possible? Can corporations factor in the social good in their operations?

Do corporations rule the world? Do we live in a world where corporations shape our lives?

Selection of contextual/background readings (non-exhaustive)

Alvarez, Jos E. (2011) Are Corporations Subjects of International Law Santa Clara Journal of International Law Vol.9, No.1: 1-35.

Buckley, Peter J. Chapman, Malcolm (1997) The perception measurement of transaction costs Cambridge Journal of Economics Vol.21: 127-145

Ciepley, David (2013) Beyond Public and Private: Toward a Political Theory of the Corporation American Political Science Review Vol.107, No.1 (February): 139-158)

Cox, Ronald W. (ed.) (2012) Corporate Power and Globlization in US Foreign Policy London: Routledge.

Dunning, John H. and Lundan, Sarianna (2008) Multinational Enterprises and the Global Economy (second edition) Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.

Farnsworth, Kevin (2012) Social Versus Corporate Welfare: Competing Needs and Interests within the Welfare State Basingstoke: PalgraveMacmillan

Fuchs, Doris (2007) Business Power in Global Governance Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Harrod, Jeff (2006) The Century of the Corporation in: C.May (ed.) Global Corporate Power (IPE Yearbook 15) Boulder: Lynne Rienner Publishers.

Jones, Bryn (2015) Corporate Power Responsible Capitalism: Towards Social Accountability Cheltenham: Edward Elgar

Lundan, Sarianna M. (2013) Regulating Global Corporate Capitalism in: J.Mikler (ed.) The Handbook of Global Companies Chichester: John Wiley Sons.

Micklethwait, John and Wooldridge, Adrian (2003) The Company. A Short History of a Revolutionary Idea London: Weidenfeld and Nicolson.

Ruggie, John Gerard (2013) Just Business: Multinational Corporations and Human Rights New York: W.W.Norton Co.

Stopford, John and Strange, Susan (1991) Rival States, Rival Firms: Competition for World Market Shares Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Woll, Cornelia (2008) Firm Interests: How Governments Shape Business Lobbying on Global Trade Ithaca: Cornell University Press.