The National Identity of Global Companies

Wilks, Stephen

doi:10.1002/9781118326152.ch3

Cited by 3 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…Similarly, we used Big Formula to refer to the corporations that manufacture and distribute BMS on an industrial scale, most but not all, being transnational corporations with a market presence in two or more country markets. We also viewed each corporation as anchored in their country of origin, and hence as identifying with nationally-derived cultures, operational structures and relationships with their home country governments [ 50 , 51 ]. The baby food industry comprises Big Formula at its core, but also the dairy industry and other input suppliers, retailers, advertising agencies, and various other commercial entities who profit from BMS [ 21 , 23 ].…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Executives and senior management run corporations, with a fiduciary duty to maximise profit, and through sustained profit, generate returns to shareholders (the owners) [ 50 , 51 ]. To realise this interest, every effort is made within the legal constraints the corporation operates under, and sometimes beyond these constraints, to externalize as much of its costs of production as possible.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Globalization, first-foods systems transformations and corporate power: a synthesis of literature and data on the market and political practices of the transnational baby food industry

et al. 2021

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Background The global milk formula market has ‘boomed’ in recent decades, raising serious concerns for breastfeeding, and child and maternal health. Despite these developments, few studies have investigated the global expansion of the baby food industry, nor the market and political practices corporations have used to grow and sustain their markets. In this paper, our aim is to understand the strategies used by the baby food industry to shape ‘first-foods systems’ across its diverse markets, and in doing so, drive milk formula consumption on a global scale. We used a theoretically guided synthesis review method, which integrated diverse qualitative and quantitative data sources. Results Global milk formula sales grew from ~US$1.5 billion in 1978 to US$55.6 billion in 2019. This remarkable expansion has occurred along two main historical axes. First, the widening geographical reach of the baby food industry and its marketing practices, both globally and within countries, as corporations have pursued new growth opportunities, especially in the Global South. Second, the broadening of product ranges beyond infant formula, to include an array of follow-up, toddler and specialized formulas for a wider range of age groups and conditions, thereby widening the scope of mother-child populations subject to commodification. Sophisticated marketing techniques have been used to grow and sustain milk formula consumption, including marketing through health systems, mass-media and digital advertising, and novel product innovations backed by corporate science. To enable and sustain this marketing, the industry has engaged in diverse political practices to foster favourable policy, regulatory and knowledge environments. This has included lobbying international and national policy-makers, generating and deploying favourable science, leveraging global trade rules and adopting corporate policies to counter regulatory action by governments. Conclusion The baby food industry uses integrated market and political strategies to shape first-foods systems in ways that drive and sustain milk formula market expansion, on a global scale. Such practices are a major impediment to global implementation of the International Code of Marketing of Breastmilk Substitutes, and other policy actions to protect, promote and support breastfeeding. New modalities of public health action are needed to negate the political practices of the industry in particular, and ultimately to constrain corporate power over the mother-child breastfeeding dyad.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Globalization, first-foods systems transformations and corporate power: a synthesis of literature and data on the market and political practices of the transnational baby food industry

et al. 2021

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“…A second feature of the organizational structure that has implications for the social hierarchy is the importance of the home country. Although companies may be highly internationalized in terms of sales, production, or workforce, the home country is usually the primary locus of control, leadership, and innovation (Wilks, 2013). Members of the company board and senior management are overwhelmingly parent country nationals, indicating that strategic decisions are made in the home country (Hu, 1992;Jones, 2006).…”

Section: The Social Hierarchy In the Mnc: The Organization-as-a-fieldmentioning

confidence: 99%

Perceived senior leadership opportunities in MNCs: The effect of social hierarchy and capital

et al. 2014

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Drawing on the structural perspective in organizational theory, this study develops a conceptual framework of the social hierarchy within the multinational corporation (MNC). We suggest that parent, host, and third country nationals occupy distinctively different positions in the social hierarchy that are anchored in their differential control or access to various forms of capital or strategically valuable organizational resources. We further suggest that these positions affect employees' perceptions of senior leadership opportunities, defined as the assessment of the extent to which nationality and location influence access to senior leadership opportunities. Using multilevel analysis of survey data from 2,039 employees in seven MNCs, the study reveals two significant findings. First, host and third country nationals perceive that nationality and location influence access to senior leadership opportunities more than parent country nationals. Second, three moderating factorsgender, tenure, and education-increase the perception gaps between parent country nationals on the one hand and host and third country nationals on the other, although these results are inconsistent. These findings indicate that the structural position of parent, host, and third country nationals in the social hierarchy affect sense-making and perceptions of access to senior leadership opportunities.

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Betwixt and Between: National and Organizational Identification of Host Country Managers Working in MNE Subsidiaries

Lee

Kim

You

2023

AMJ

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The National Identity of Global Companies

Cited by 3 publications

References 30 publications

Globalization, first-foods systems transformations and corporate power: a synthesis of literature and data on the market and political practices of the transnational baby food industry

Globalization, first-foods systems transformations and corporate power: a synthesis of literature and data on the market and political practices of the transnational baby food industry

Perceived senior leadership opportunities in MNCs: The effect of social hierarchy and capital

Betwixt and Between: National and Organizational Identification of Host Country Managers Working in MNE Subsidiaries

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