Strategic Changes in Transnational Corporations

Strategic changes in transnational corporations as an adjustment to the challenges of the 21st century

The main objective of the article is to discuss the direction of changes in the strategies of the most powerful transnational corporations (Top-TNCs) as a result of adjustments to the new challenges created by the evolving global economy – an attempt to identify the model of transformations taking place in transnational corporations (TNCs). The author, based on the concept of Grounded Theory Method (GTM), indicates the fundamental pillars of the strategy which can be considered the universal attributes of modern corporations that are the leaders of individual industry sectors. The paper, apart from literature review and its critique, presents the results of a survey conducted among the Top-TNCs which were classified in the Top 100 TNCs in the UNCTAD’s World Investment Reports of 1991–2013. When selecting from 252 TNCs listed in the rankings, the Multidimensional Statistical Analysis (MSA) was used – the original Synthetic Indicator of Creation of Added Value (SICAV) of the author’s own invention. The ranking of TNCs in selected industry sectors was made by the linear ordering method (by SICAV). Then, for the 3 leaders in each of the sectors, in-depth studies were conducted. Based on the concept GTM, test results for the TNC-leaders of all sectors were juxtaposed four pillars of strategy identified, which can be considered universal indicators of modern corporation development. DOI: 10.15678/EBER.2017.050208