Globalisation and corporation internalisation: a critical viewpoint

Between the end of the 1970s and the beginning of 1980s, a series of interacting processes led the way to a new phase in corporations' internationalisation. Rapid technological development, changes in the economic system, global finance boom, a new geopolitical order and the assertion of neo-liberalistic cultural values boosted globalisation. Global companies, taking advantage of the revolution in communication and market integration, were able to overcome limits in space and become leading players in the globalisation processes. Their growth is however associated with an obvious tendency to concentrate mainly on issues brought about by gigantic mergers. This evolution engenders major effects on: the companies' organisation, from the Fordist to post-Fordist model - flexibility: a magic keyword; the nature of the work and the labour market in both emerging and industrialised countries; employment and unemployment; social inequality; the relationship between global corporations' strategy, national economies and political power. Several alternative scenarios can be envisaged: the end of the state and the rise of the market society; the end of work; towards a new modernity.