Before and After the Financial Crash: The Corporate Network Evolution and Sustainability Implications

The control network structure of transnational corporations (TNC) not only affects global markets, but also holds fundamental implications for policy-making mechanisms underpinning the sustainable use of environmental resources, and a sustained commitment to human welfare and civil liberties. Previous analysis of the TNC network topology has revealed a giant bow-tie structure controlled by a close-knit financial core. However, to our knowledge, little research has been done on (a) how this structure has evolved over time – i.e. before and after the financial crash in 2008; and (b) the implication, not so much on global financial and social ‘stability’, but on long-term environmental and societal sustainability. Our research uses computational data-driven methods to investigate how the TNC network has evolved in the last 10 years and reflect on its long-term implications.