Business Groups and Transnational Capitalism in Central America


Book Description

This book investigates Central America's political economy seen through the lens of its powerful business groups. It provides unique insight into their strategies when confronted with a globalized economy, their impact on development of the isthmus, and how they shape the political and economic institutions governing local varieties of capitalism.




Transnational Conflicts


Book Description

In this timely and provocative study, William I. Robinson challenges received wisdom on Central America. He starts with an exposition on the new global capitalism. Then, drawing on a wide range of historical documentation, interviews, and social science research, he proceeds to show how capitalist globalization has thoroughly transformed the region, disrupting the conventional pattern of revolutionary upheaval, civil wars, and pacification, and ushering in instead a new transnational model of economy and society. Beyond his focus on Central America, Robinson provides a critical framework for understanding development and social change in other regions of the world in the age of globalization. Demonstrating how the very forces of capitalism have brought into being new social agents and political actors unlikely to acquiesce in the face of the emerging order, Transnational Conflicts shows why the Isthmus, along with other regions, is likely to return to the headlines in the near future.







Transnational Capitalism and National Development


Book Description

Monographic compilation of essays on the impact of multinational enterprise capitalism on national level economic development and dependence of developing countries (incl. Latin America and Africa) - considers the origins of the dependence development theory in context with modernization and neoclassical economic theories, analyses underdevelopment effects of mass media, arms, technological change, etc., and examines alternative development policy options based on self-reliance, references and statistical tables.










Subordinated Development: Transnational Capital in the Process of Accumulation of Latin America and Brazil


Book Description

Focusing on the processes of accumulation, concentration and centralisation of capital, this book explains the transnationalisation of capital and its impact on Latin America and Brazil. The first chapter addresses the logic of these processes from a Marxian perspective. The second chapter shows how this movement of capital expands into some Latin American countries, and how it subsequently retracts in the 1990s process of global centralisation. The third chapter evaluates Latin American strategies to attract capital by taking a subordinate position to capital’s global movement. The last two chapters focus on Brazil's development strategy in the face of the alternating expansion and contraction of capital, and point out the vulnerability of Latin American countries when their development is subordinate to transnational capital. First published in Portuguese as Subordinação consentida: capital multinacional no processo de acumulação da América Latina e Brasil by Annablume Editora/Fapesp in 2006.




Hierarchical Capitalism in Latin America


Book Description

This book argues that Latin America has a distinctive, enduring form of hierarchical capitalism characterized by multinational corporations, diversified business groups, low skills and segmented labor markets. Over time, institutional complementarities knit features of corporate governance and labor markets together and thus contribute to institutional resiliency. Political systems generally favored elites and insiders who further reinforced existing institutions and complementarities. Hierarchical capitalism has not promoted rising productivity, good jobs or equitable development, and the efficacy of development strategies to promote these outcomes depends on tackling negative institutional complementarities. This book is intended to open a new debate on the nature of capitalism in Latin America and link that discussion to related research on comparative capitalism in other parts of the world.




Transnational Corporations and Industrial Transformation in Latin America


Book Description

Analysis of the economic role of multinational enterprises in industrial development in Latin America - reviews economic theories and impact of foreign capital since 1920; includes case studies of the motor vehicle industry and pharmaceutical industry; describes the development of export oriented industries, esp. The clothing industry and electronics industry; explains effects of MNEs on social structure and industrial policy. References, statistical tables.