Corporate elite community structure of global capitalism
A key debate on the merits and consequences of globalisation asks to what extent we have moved to a multipolar global political economy. In order to answer this question we analyse the community structure of the global corporate elite: how are the largest one million firms in the world are interconnected at the level of corporate governance through interlocking directorates.
Transatlantic connections remain particularly strong: Europe and North America remain interconnected in a dense network of shared directors. A distinct Asian cluster stands apart as separate and oriented more towards itself. We see this as a sign of the rise of competing corporate elites. But the corporate elites from the traditional core countries still form a powerful opponent for any competing faction in the global corporate elite.
Publication details
Heemskerk, Eelke M. and Frank W. Takes. To appear in New Political Economy.