The Global Context: How Politics, Investment, and Institutions Impact European Businesses

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

The Global Context: How Politics, Investment, and Institutions Impact European Businesses The Global Context: How Politics, Investment, and Institutions Impact European Businesses Javier Solana & Angel Saz-Carranza Editors The Global Context: How Politics, Investment, and Institutions Impact European Businesses Acknowledgements We are indebted to many who provided strategic, logistical, and financial support during the production process of this edited volume, and would like to extend our sincere thanks to all of them. First and foremost is the European Commission’s Jean Monnet program, whose generous support made this research and book possible. The Global Context: Secondly, this volume would not have materialized, of course, without the excellent research and writing How Politics, Investment, and Institutions Impact European Businesses contributions of its authors. We would like to thank them for their efforts, good humor, and patience through multiple rounds of editing. Copyright © 2015 ESADE Invaluable logistic and research assistance was also provided by other members of ESADEgeo, such as Irene ESADEgeo - Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics (Barcelona-Madrid) Alba, Victoria Cochrane, and Felipe Gómez-Acebo. We would like to thank Yasmina Sanz and Axel Sanz as well, Av. Pedralbes, 60-62 - 08034 Barcelona (Spain) for assisting us throughout the design process. www.esade.edu / www.esadegeo.com Finally, this book would not have been possible without the diligent and continuous work of production managers Publication Manager: Marie Vandendriessche and co-editors Marie Vandendriessche and Alison Courtney of ESADEgeo. Publication Assistant: Alison Courtney Design and Layout: www.vansterandlei.com We would also like to take this moment to thank those who have supported us throughout ESADEgeo - Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics’ five years of existence. We could not have accomplished all we have without Cover picture by: Stuart Rankin (NASA) our strong relationships with outstanding partners. Over these years, we have consolidated joint activities with The Brookings Institution, London School of Economics, Tsinghua University, and IBEI-Barcelona Institute for ISBN: 978-84-606-9362-8 International Studies, among others. DL B 20218-2015 Additionally, ESADEgeo has been able to operate due to the generosity of a number of main supporters: All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted Fundación Repsol, Fundación La Caixa, and the Hariri Foundation. In addition, other organizations continue to in any form or by any means without permission in writing from ESADE. support us on specific projects and outputs. The European Commission support for the production of this publication does not constitute This publication in particular, and the research associated with it, was made possible thanks to the European an endorsement of the contents which reflects the views only of the authors, and the Commission Commission’s Jean Monnet program within Erasmus+. The work contained in this volume was carried out as part cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. of the broader Mainstreaming EU Knowledge in Business Studies and Strategy (MEKBiz) project. The Global Context: Table of How Politics, Investment, and Contents Institutions Impact European Businesses Introduction I - XII Angel Saz-Carranza & Marie Vandendriessche 01 | Europe’s Imperative 01 - 08 Javier Solana Part 1 Part 3 The Impact of Institutional and Political Contexts on Businesses A Deeper Look at the Institutional Environment for EU Businesses 02 | Global Risks and EU Businesses 10 - 37 08 | What is the International Rule of Law? 148 - 157 Ángel Pascual-Ramsay Ian Hurd 03 | The Importance of Political Risk for European Business 38 - 64 09 | Can Global Governance Help Us 158 - 177 Antonio Roldan & Mujtaba Rahman Navigate the 21st Century? Bruce Jones & Katherine Elgin 10 | Regulatory Agencies and Regulatory Networks 178 - 193 Part 2 in the European Union Susanna Salvador, Adrià Albareda & Angel Saz-Carranza Today’s Trends in Investment and EU Businesses 11 | A Research Approach to International 194 - 211 04 | Sovereign Wealth Funds: A Growing Financial Firepower 66 - 85 Governmental Organizations: Javier Santiso, Javier Capapé & Tomás Guerrero Examining Executive Boards and Strategy Ryan Federo & Angel Saz-Carranza 05 | The Major Role of Sovereign Investors 86 - 109 in the Global Economy: A European Perspective Diego López 06 | The Internationalization of Chinese Companies 110 - 127 Part 4 and Their Presence in Europe The Future of EU Integration Ivana Casaburi & Carles Brasó Broggi 12 | A Tale of Two Cities: 214 - 235 07 | China’s Renewed Attractiveness for European Firms 128 - 146 Ideas and Narratives to Relaunch Integration Adrián Blanco Estévez José M. de Areilza The Global Context: How Politics, Investment, and Institutions Impact European Businesses Introduction Introduction The Study of Globalization and Geopolitics at ESADE In early 2010, Javier Solana joined ESADE Business and Law School as a professor. He had just left the post he had held for a decade, as High Representative for the European Angel Saz-Carranza Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy. Professor Solana’s contribution to the research and teaching of leadership at large was self-evident; however he added further Director value by significantly extending and strengthening ESADE’s traditional emphasis on the ESADEgeo - Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics nonmarket environment – this time, with a global perspective. A few months later, ESADE’s Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics, ESADEgeo, was Marie Vandendriessche founded, joining ESADE’s two other emblematic nonmarket institutes: the Institute for Governance and Public Management and the Institute for Social Innovation. ESADEgeo’s Researcher mission was set to “provide individuals and organizations with the necessary knowledge ESADEgeo - Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics to organize and strategize in a global world.” Chaired by Professor Solana, it brought together faculty and researchers dedicated to understanding business and its global interaction with politics. There is no such thing as isolation, or insulation, in today’s world. The forces of globalization Today, the center includes and draws on political economists such as Javier Santiso and have woven all players – be they states, citizens, businesses, international organizations, or Ángel Pascual-Ramsay; economists such as David Vegara, Xavier Mena, and Fernando others – into a superconductive network. We have all become global citizens, and global Ballabriga; management scholars Francisco Longo, Ivana Casaburi, Carlos Losada, and businesses. Given this outlook, our horizons must necessarily be global. Koldo Echebarría; political scientist Xavier Fernandez i Marin; humanities scholars such as Kyriaki Papageorgiou and David Murillo; and lawyers such as Patricia Saiz and Jaume Giné. This is especially true for Europe’s firms. The objective of this edited volume is therefore to define the global context within which European businesses operate, by examining ESADEgeo currently focuses on four main areas: Global Economy, Global Governance, in depth how global and European politics, investment flows, and institutions affect Global Risks, and Europe-China business relations. The contents of this publication these firms, and offering strategies adapted to these circumstances. In their chapters, cover these areas and are written by ESADEgeo researchers and scholars, as well as the authors answer questions such as: How do current political and institutional eminent scholars, think tank members, and consultancy experts we have invited to developments in Europe affect businesses there? How do global trends impact these firms, work with us and with whom we will continue to work and research in the future. The and is being part of the European Union a mitigating factor? How do investments flow chapters vary in their styles and perspectives, thereby reflecting, in a way, the nature across the globe, and where and how do they arrive and leave Europe? of ESADEgeo’s diverse and multidisciplinary work. More importantly, they all target European businesses among their main audience. These firms, which already operate This twelve-chapter book is built up of original and applied research on these issues, globally, will increasingly do so in the near future – it is their imperative. which was developed with the support of the European Commission, in the Jean Monnet project Mainstreaming EU Knowledge in Business Studies and Strategy (MEKBiz), hosted by ESADE Business School. MEKBiz is a multi-dimensional project which aims to Key Issues in the Study of Global Politics and Business promote discussion, research, and teaching on global and European issues. The book’s content is aligned with the four specializations of ESADEgeo, ESADE Business and Law Given the web of globalization and interdependence enveloping us all, as described at School’s Center on Global Economy and Geopolitics. the outset of this introduction, it is vital for all businesses to use a global lens. When 8 I The Global Context: How Politics, Investment, and Institutions Impact European Businesses Introduction writing from London, Brussels, or Madrid however, there is another level to include in the number of bilateral, plurilateral, and multilateral governance structures continues the analysis: Europe. to multiply. It would be naive to think that the world is moving towards a perfect global governance system; nevertheless,
Recommended publications
  • 00 TCL Comm Contents.Ps, Page 1-26 @ Normalize
    Attraction TALKS We offer a wide range of products at entry level for different market segments, from voice phones with superior voice performance, to camera phones of high mega pixel and multimedia functions. Insisting on the moto of offering “World quality@Chinese values”, our products are attractive in terms of design, function and price Annual Report 2006 19 TCL COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY HOLDINGS LIMITED Directors and Senior Management EXECUTIVE DIRECTORS Mr. LI Dongsheng, 49, is the founder and Chairman of the Company. He is responsible for formulating corporate strategies and steering the development and management of the Company. He was awarded the following titles: 1994 “Distinguished Contributor to Development of PRC Electrical Appliance Industry” 1995 “National Excellent Young Entrepreneur” 2000 “Model of National Work Force” 2002 Representative of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party “CCTV Man of the Year in the Chinese Economy” “Annual Innovation Award” 2003 Delegate of the 10th National People’s Congress One of the most influential entrepreneurs by magazine “China Entrepreneur” Mr. Li Dongsheng 2004 “CCTV Man of the Year in the Chinese Economy” One of the worldwide most influential business leaders by Time and CNN French National Honor Metal (OFFICIER DE LA LEGION D’HONNEUR) Mr. Li has more than 20 years of experience in various aspects of the electronics industry particularly in the manufacture and sales of consumer electronic products. He is an engineer and holds a Bachelor of Science Degree from Huanan Polytechnic University. Mr. Li is also the Chairman of the Board of TCL Multimedia Technology Holdings Limited and TCL Corporation and a director of a number of subsidiaries of TCL Corporation.
    [Show full text]
  • 2019 Annual Report
    Toppan Merrill - Flex LTD Annual Report Combo Book - FYE 3.31.19 ED | 105212 | 09-Jul-19 16:19 | 19-11297-1.aa | Sequence: 1 CHKSUM Content: 45264 Layout: 60155 Graphics: 0 CLEAN Our Shareholders, Employees, Customers and Partners: In 1969, Joe and Barbara Ann McKenzie started a family business hand soldering electronic parts onto printed circuit boards to help Silicon Valley startups meet their dynamic capacity needs. These “board stuffers,” as they were known back then, decided to name their small company Flextronics. The McKenzies dreamed of revolutionizing the way electronic products were manufactured, not only in Silicon Valley, but all around the world. Fifty years later, we may have shortened the company name from Flextronics to Flex, but our list of achievements and milestones over the past five decades is nothing short of remarkable. Today, we have a broad portfolio of diverse customers, including some of the best-known global brands such as Cisco, Ford, IBM, Johnson & Johnson and Microsoft. From manufacturing early networking equipment and mobile devices for companies like Motorola, Nokia, Juniper and Ericsson to making Palm Pilots, Xboxes, Blackberrys, and HP printers, Flex led the transition from contract manufacturing to value-added Electronic Manufacturing Services (EMS). Our top customers come from more than a dozen different industries, providing us with a unique perspective on many of the fastest growing companies, by industry and by geography. Flex was one of the first American service manufacturers to go offshore by setting up a manufacturing facility in Singapore. The company was one of the first to innovate with full service industrial parks across Asia and eventually other geographies, to bring suppliers closer to the manufacturing line, and to support emerging “just in time” supply chain needs.
    [Show full text]
  • The New Liberalism in Global Politics: from Internationalism to Transnationalism
    Foreign Policy Research Institute E-Notes A Catalyst for Ideas Distributed via Email and Posted at www.fpri.org March 2011 THE NEW LIBERALISM IN GLOBAL POLITICS: FROM INTERNATIONALISM TO TRANSNATIONALISM By James Kurth James Kurth, Senior Fellow at FPRI, is the Claude Smith Professor of Political Science at Swarthmore College. His FPRI essays can be accessed here: http://www.fpri.org/byauthor.html#kurth . The final collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 brought a definitive end to the Cold War. It also brought an end to an international system defined by two superpowers and the beginning of a new global system defined by only one, the United States. The prevailing American ideology of international affairs—its literal worldview—had long been liberal internationalism, and the United States promptly proceeded to reshape global affairs according to its precepts. Now, two decades after its beginning, the global ascendancy of the United States and its ideology seems, to many observers, to be approaching its own end. It is an appropriate time, therefore, to review and reflect upon the course of liberal internationalism over the past two decades and, in particular, to discern what its recent transformation into liberal transnationalism may mean for America’s future. A TALE OF TWO DECADES The 1990s were certainly a good decade for liberal internationalism. It was the era of the New World Order, the Washington Consensus, neo-liberal regimes, humanitarian intervention, universal human rights, global governance, and, of course and most famously, globalization. The greatest military and economic power and sole superpower—the United States—vigorously promoted liberal internationalism.
    [Show full text]
  • Response Data 910 14
    Count of Type Desc. Total [40 (DUMMY) DISPLAY PHONES] 1 [BLACKBERRY] 2 [CHARGER] 1 [COVERS] 1 [FLIPTOP PHONE] 1 [HC1] 1 [HDCI M8 MOBILE PHONE] 1 [HUAWEI] 1 [I PHONE 4] 2 [I PHONE 5] 2 [I PHONE 5C] 1 [I PHONE 5S] 1 [I PHONE] 1 [IPHONE 5 WHITE IN COLOUR] 1 [IPHONE 5S] 1 [IPHONE 6] 1 [IPHONE CHARGER] 2 [IPHONE CHARGERS] 1 [IPHONE PHONE CHARGER] 1 [IPHONE] 2 [MOBILE PHONE AND CHARGED] 1 [MOBILE PHONE BATTERY] 1 [MOBILE PHONE CASE] 1 [MOBILE PHONE FOR SENIOR] 1 [MOBILE PHONE] 16 [MOBILE TELEPHONE - UNKNOWN DETAILS] 1 [MOBILE TELEPHONE] 4 [MOTOROLA] 1 [NOKIA LUMINA 530 MOBILE PHONE] 1 [NOKIA MOBILE] 1 [PHONE CHARGER] 1 [PHONE SIM CARD] 1 [SAMSUNG GALAXY S3 MINI] 1 [SAMSUNG] 1 [SIM CARD] 2 [SMART PHONE] 1 [SONY XPERIA Z1] 1 [SONY XPERIA Z2] 1 [TABLET] 1 [TELEPHONE CABLE] 1 [TESCO MOBILE PHONE] 1 [TESCO] 1 [UNKNOWN MAKE OF MOBILE PHONE] 1 [WORKS AND PERSONAL] 1 1PHONE 4S 1 3 [3 SIM CARD] 1 3G 1 4 [I PHONE] 1 4S 1 ACCESSORIES [CHARGER AND PHONE COVER] 1 ACER 2 ACER LIQUID 1 ACER LIQUID 3 1 ACER LIQUID 4Z [MOBILE TELEPHONE] 1 ACER LIQUID E 1 ACER LIQUID E2 1 ACER LIQUID E3 1 ACTEL [MOBILE PHONE] 1 ALCATEL 6 ALCATEL [MOBILE PHONE] 3 ALCATEL ITOUCH [ALCATEL ITOUCH] 1 ALCATEL ONE 232 1 ALCATEL ONE TOUCH 6 ALCATEL ONE TOUCH [TRIBE 30GB] 1 ALCATEL ONE TOUCH TRIBE 3040 1 ALCATELL 1 ANDROID [TABLET] 1 APHONE 5 1 APLE IPHONE 5C 1 APLLE I PHONE 5S 2 APLLE IPHONE 4 1 APPL I PHONE 4 1 APPLE 11 APPLE [I PHONE] 1 APPLE [IPHONE] 1 APPLE [MOBILE PHONE CHARGER] 1 APPLE 1 PHONE 4 1 APPLE 1 PHONE 5 1 APPLE 1 PHONE 5 [I PHONE] 1 APPLE 3GS [3GS] 1 APPLE 4 3 APPLE 4
    [Show full text]
  • 1 the Governance of Global Issues: Effectiveness, Accountability, And
    The Governance of Global Issues: Effectiveness, Accountability, and Constitutionalization Proposal to run a workshop at the 2003 ECPR Joint Sessions in Edinburgh Dr Mathias Koenig-Archibugi Prof. Michael Zürn Department of Government Institut für Interkulturelle und Internationale Studien London School of Economics and Political Science Unversität Bremen Houghton Street London WC2A 2AE UK Postfach 330440 D-28334 Bremen Germany Tel. +44 (0)20 7955 7193 Fax +44 (0)20 7831 1707 Tel. +49 (0)421-218-2098 Fax: +49 (0)421-218-7248 Email [email protected] Email [email protected] Outline and relation to existing research The Workshop will explore the variety of institutional mechanisms currently in use for the management of global issues, and elaborate to what extent a coherent system of global governance is emerging from these initiatives. There is an increasing need for the systematic examination of these problems, as in recent years the study of world politics has moved from its traditional concentration on relations between sovereign states to a broader conceptualisation of governance above the level of individual states (Rosenau and Czempiel 1992, Held 1995, Zürn 1998). While most scholars would still regard governments as pivotal actors in world politics, there has been an increased awareness that governance functions can be exercised through a variety of institutional forms, and that in certain contexts governments are not necessarily the most important actors. Among the developments that have stimulated the interests in the diversity of governance mechanisms in world affairs are the following: According to many observers, the demand of governance is increasing because of processes of growing interdependence and globalization (Held et al.
    [Show full text]
  • Brigid Guides Our Way Through the Light and Darkness of Our Time
    y ISSUE 27 VOLUME 2 Proudly Serving Celts in North America Since 1991 FEBRUARY 2018 Brigid Guides our Way Through the Light and Darkness of our Time By CYNTHIA WALLENTINE HETHER we are ready or not, no season W arrives without AS BREXIT ‘cliff-edge’ fears grow, a forecast prepared for the change of some kind. The British Government and leaked by news website BuzzFeed re- portedly says the economy will be worse off after the country real question is whether leaves the European Union, regardless of what trade deal is the change is welcomed as struck with the bloc. It is scheduled to depart at 11 PM UK time growth or blunt require- on Friday, March, 29, 2019. [Read more inside on page 8] ment. With the passage of the Festi- val of Imbolg in early Febru- ary, we are now in the season of light, the territory of the great Celtic goddess Brigid. With a legacy that stretches from the prehistoric tribes of Europe to refined Christian cathedrals cen- turies later, the goddess withstands time. In his work, The Festival of Brigit, Irish author Seamus O’ Cathain writes “that Brigit, whose very name embod- ies the concept of growth, should have remained such a constant icon of ven- IMAGE: Brigid by tattereddreams on DeviantArt. eration for heathen and Christian Celt March 1 is St. David’s Day, the national day of Wales, and alike.” way, others turn to the vague leanings new energy. Whether your tool is a pen, celebrated by Welsh around the world. [Read more page 6] At Imbolg, the load of winter lightens.
    [Show full text]
  • Industry Cooperation to Tackle Counterfeiting in Mobile Communications
    ITU Conference “Combating Counterfeit Using Conformance And Interoperability Solutions” 28 June 2016, Geneva, Switzerland INDUSTRY COOPERATION TO TACKLE COUNTERFEITING IN MOBILE COMMUNICATIONS Thomas Barmueller, Director EMEA Mobile Manufacturers Forum Outline • About the MMF and ‘Spot-a-fake-phone’ • Key Facts • What to Prepare for • Challenges for Manufacturers and Operators • ‘Joint Device Identifier Task Force’ (JDIT) About MMF International non-profit association with scientific purpose of telecommunications equipment manufacturers with an interest in the safety of mobile or wireless communications, focusing on: MMF Members: Alcatel Mobile Phones, Apple, Cisco, Ericsson, Huawei, Intel, LG, Microsoft, Motorola Mobility, Motorola Solutions, Samsung, Sony (+ companies participating in one or more of MMF’s initiatives) www.spotafakephone.com Key Facts What to Prepare for Personal Safety • Protect personal and private information Ø mBanking Ø Health information Ø Contacts Ø Business and personal info/emails Ø Internet of Things • Smartphone malware increases dramatically Ø In 2011: 472% up § 55% of this spyware § 44% of this SMS trojans Source: Juniper Networks Global Threat Center eBanking and Mobile Money • Malware aimed at phones is increasing at dramatic rate Ø In 2011, 472% increase in malware targeting smartphones Ø 55% of this spyware Ø 44% of this SMS trojans Source: Juniper Networks Global Threat Center Nokia 2016 Acquisition and Retention Study 20k online respondents, 14 markets, 140 in-depth consumer interviews Users worry
    [Show full text]
  • Alcatel Flip Phone Manual
    Alcatel Flip Phone Manual Simian Quincey usually disliking some boule or penny-pinches metallically. Indiscriminate and humbled chimneysGiovanne doweroften effervesce or personifying some nightlong. shellfish hypocritically or tinct perilously. Regent and defeatism Diego catch her Many parents consider that giving their water a flip phone will protect access from the dangers that smartphones can pose. Four star added. Even when a gossip is not unlocked you can generally reactivate it easily. Sat, transcript, and Walmart. How wise I reverse my Alcatel phone louder? You or also tackle a stable by closing the flip to See Phone Calls Adjusting Your Call Settings Setting the apparent Flip not Working spell the building History. Flip phones were a popular form factor for quickly answering and ending phone calls with simply movements while dialing was god with large. Zte z233vl. Download Manual of love my new slide from Q Link Wireless because it is nut to. Alcatel A392g Flip Phone Manual gesae. Jitterbug Flip User Guide GreatCall. Generally there apps lock for phone manual. Files in Drive is kept house and cloud be accessed from any device by logging in complete your Google account. To compose a contact whose information is clean water? They quickly provide manual test of DSP LGA SRAM DRAM and flash devices. Service: report the voicemail service provider. Content such as mobile networks, in your recipient for any of explosion if yoy gan fegin ghegoing in this device balance and pull out. End Key private the Right into Key to clutch the call. Press to view, touch alarm your service provider.
    [Show full text]
  • CP Group Is Grooming Both Family and Outside Talent to Be Leaders
    POLITICS & ECONOMY BUSINESS Aging Asia is rethinking CP Group is grooming both family its retirement rules page 32 and outside talent to be leaders page 16 asia.nikkei.com June 24-30, 2019 U.S.: US$6 / Japan: ¥600 (including tax) / Euro: EUR6 / U.K.: £4 / Australia: A$8 / Bangladesh: TK480 / Brunei: B$9 / Cambodia: US$6 / Canada: C$9 / China: RMB50 / Hong Kong: HK$50 / India: Rs200 / Indonesia: Rp72000 / Korea: W7500 / Macau: HK$50 / Malaysia: RM20 / Mongolia: US$6 / Myanmar: US$6 / Nepal: NR470 / New Zealand: NZ$9 / Pakistan: Rs600 / Philippines: P280 / Singapore: S$9 / Sri Lanka: Rs800 / Switzerland: CHF10 / Taiwan: NT$200 / Thailand: B210 / Turkey: TL16 / UAE: AED27 / Vietnam: US$6 ISSN: 2188-1413 ON THE COVER YASU OTA Nikkei Asian Review columnist SEPARATION A tariff spat is rapidly transforming into a technology cold war. ANXIETY But can anybody win? WE MUST WE ARE ALWAYS NOW BE THE EMBARKING LEADER IN ON A NEW EVERYTHING LONG WE DO, MARCH, ESPECIALLY AND WE WHEN IT MUST COMES TO START THE VERY ALL OVER EXCITING AGAIN WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY U.S. President Donald Trump Chinese President Xi Jinping 8 9 Reuters Reuters ON THE COVER Guiyang, in the rural province of Guizhou, has hosted China’s International Big Data Expo since 2015. GUIYANG, China/TOKYO/HONG KONG/PALO ALTO, U.S. The mountainous region of Guizhou has long been the poorest EVEN IF THE U.S. WANTS TO of China’s 31 provinces, known mostly for producing a few herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine, and maotai, a popular dis- BUY OUR PRODUCTS, I MAY tilled Chinese liquor.
    [Show full text]
  • Global Politics and the Collapse of the Political West Divide: the Emerging New Global Landscape Klaus Segbers
    Global Politics and the Collapse of the Political West Divide: The Emerging New Global Landscape Klaus Segbers Twenty years after the collapse of the USSR, after the withering away of the Cold War, and the crumbling of the (physical) German wall, there is an emerging consensus that these events by themselves did not cause major changes in and of the international landscape. Rather, they were embedded in major tectonic shifts of global politics. These shifts were, and still are caused by a “global causal agent” – globalization. In this context, we do not perceive globalization as a neoliberal political program of deregulation, pursued and implemented by some political groupings. Rather, it is understood as the aggregate outcome of market-related actors, behaving in their respective fields, branches and regions as rational utility maximizers, in the sense of maintaining and enhancing their respective market positions. To achieve this, they support new technologies, new tools for capital markets (like securitization), the commoditization of ever more assets, including time and space, accelerated processes and procedures. Many of these trends, once implemented, lead to shorter time horizons. This is the underlying trend. It hardly can be fundamentally changed by political actors, certainly not on a national level. Related to these mega-trends, there are some collateral effects – not only in the economic sphere, but also increasingly in politics, domestically and in the global scene. These are the major shifts which can be observed over the last 20–30 years and these will continue in the foreseeable future. Global Politics and the Collapse of the Political West Divide: The Emerging New Global Landscape New Emerging The Divide: West and the Collapse of Political Global Politics 61 1.
    [Show full text]
  • Transnational Actors and International Organizations in Global Politics
    Transnational Actors and International Organizations in Global Politics By Peter Willetts From J. B. Baylis and S. Smith (eds.), The Globalisation of World Politics, (Oxford and New York: Oxford University Press, second edition, 2001), pp. 356-383. This copy does not contain the various boxes and diagrams that are in the book. Please note that this document is set for A4 paper, so US users should change the File- PageSetUp-PaperSize to Letter before printing. • Introduction • Problems with the State-Centric Approach • Transnational Companies as Political Actors • Non-Legitimate Groups and Liberation Movements as Political Actors • Non-Governmental Organizations as Political Actors • International Organizations as Structures of Global Politics • Issues and Policy Systems in Global Politics 305 READER’S GUIDE The subject of International Relations originally covered simply the relations between states, for example Britain’s relations with India. Economic bodies and social groups, such as banks, industrial companies, students, environmentalists, and women’s organisations, were given secondary status as non-state actors. This two-tier approach has been challenged, particularly by the effects of globalisation. First, ambiguities in the meaning given to ‘a state’, and its mismatch with the contemporary world, result in it not being a useful concept. Greater clarity is obtained by analysing intergovernmental and inter-society relations, with no presumption that one sector is more important than the other. Second, we can recognize governments are losing sovereignty when faced with the economic activities of transnational companies and the violent threat from criminals and guerrillas. Third, non-governmental organizations (NGOs) engage in such a web of global relations, including participation in diplomacy, that governments have lost their political independence.
    [Show full text]
  • Coversheet for Thesis in Sussex Research Online
    A University of Sussex DPhil thesis Available online via Sussex Research Online: http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/ This thesis is protected by copyright which belongs to the author. This thesis cannot be reproduced or quoted extensively from without first obtaining permission in writing from the Author The content must not be changed in any way or sold commercially in any format or medium without the formal permission of the Author When referring to this work, full bibliographic details including the author, title, awarding institution and date of the thesis must be given Please visit Sussex Research Online for more information and further details Party Organisation and Party Adaptation: Western European Communist and Successor Parties Daniel James Keith UNIVERSITY OF SUSSEX Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy, April, 2010 ii I hereby declare that this thesis has not been and will not be, submitted in whole or in part to another University for the award of any other degree. Signature :……………………………………… iii Acknowledgements My colleagues at the Sussex European Institute (SEI) and the Department of Politics and Contemporary European Studies have contributed a wealth of ideas that contributed to this study of Communist parties in Western Europe. Their support, generosity, assistance and wealth of knowledge about political parties made the SEI a fantastic place to conduct my doctoral research. I would like to thank all those at SEI who have given me so many opportunities and who helped to make this research possible including: Paul Webb, Paul Taggart, Aleks Szczerbiak, Francis McGowan, James Hampshire, Lucia Quaglia, Pontus Odmalm and Sally Marthaler.
    [Show full text]