Uhlin, A. Transnational Corporations as Global Political Actors: A Literature Review.
Cooperation and Conflict, XXIII, 1988, 231-247.
The primary aim of this research note is to present an inventory of propositions and
findings concerning TNCs as global political actors. As a framework for this analysis
I will classify the literature into three main groups and some subgroups. The three
main theoretical schools compared are liberal theory, mercantilist theory and
theories of imperialism. Several aspects of the autonomy and power of TNCs, as
proponents of different theoretical schools see it, are analysed. The domain and
scope of TNC power are discussed and several power bases are listed. Constraints that
prevent the potential power of TNCs from being implemented are discussed and TNC
instruments for exercising power are listed as well. The scope of the theoretical
perspectives used to study TNCs varies. There is need for a synthesis between the
actor-oriented liberal approaches and the structural and system-oriented theories of
imperialism.
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