PLoS ONE (Jan 2011)

The network of global corporate control.

  • Stefania Vitali,
  • James B Glattfelder,
  • Stefano Battiston

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0025995
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 6, no. 10
p. e25995

Abstract

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The structure of the control network of transnational corporations affects global market competition and financial stability. So far, only small national samples were studied and there was no appropriate methodology to assess control globally. We present the first investigation of the architecture of the international ownership network, along with the computation of the control held by each global player. We find that transnational corporations form a giant bow-tie structure and that a large portion of control flows to a small tightly-knit core of financial institutions. This core can be seen as an economic "super-entity" that raises new important issues both for researchers and policy makers.