Corporate clout 2013: Time for Responsible Capitalism

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Corporate Clout 2013:
Time for Responsible Capitalism

THE WORLD’S LARGEST 100 ECONOMIC
ENTITIES IN 2012

OF THE WORLD’S LARGEST 100
ECONOMIC ENTITIES IN 2012:
40 ARE CORPORATIONS
Looking at the top 150 economic entities, the
proportion of corporations is 58%, slightly
down from 2011 (58.7%) but at the same
level as in 2010 (58%)
Note: Comparison of company revenues versus country GDP
Sources: IMF, Fortune Global 500, 2012

Royal Dutch Shell revenues in 2012 exceeded
the respective GDPs of 171 countries
– all those in green on the map
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2012
revenues
are bigger
than the
GDPs of
Columbia
Venezuela
South Africa
Austria
&
Note: All logos are the property of the respective companies.

In fact, the largest 5
energy companies in the
world in 2012 had
revenues equivalent to
2.9% of total global
GDP!
That’s slightly more than
Russia, the eighth
largest country in the
world in terms of GDP!

The largest 5
automakers in the world
in 2012 had revenues
equivalent to 1.24% of
total global GDP!
More than the GDP of
the Indonesia!

The largest 5 financial
services companies in
the world in 2012 had
revenues equivalent to
0.97% of total global
GDP!
More than the GDP of
Switzerland!

Between them these 15 corporate titans
employed almost 5 million people in 2012:
More than the entire population of Norway…
…OR Ireland
…OR Malta, Qatar and Kuwait combined!
++

7.9
71.7
Revenue of companies Global GDP
Together in 2012, the 40 companies among the world’s largest
100 economic entities generated revenues of
over US$ 7.9 trillion…
Revenues of the 40 companies in the Top 100 versus
global GDP, 2012 (US$ trillion)
Equivalent to
just under 11% of
global GDP

…and employed 12.8 million people
…BUT JUST 0.4% OF
THE WORLD’S
ECONOMICALLY
ACTIVE POPULATION
OVER A MILLION
MORE PEOPLE THAN
THE TOTAL
POPULATION OF
GREECE…

The Top 50 Global Economic Entities, 2012 – the 1st 25
Sources: IMF,, Fortune Global 500, 2012
Rank
2012
Rank
2011
Country/ Corporation Country of Companies GDP/Revenues (US$
million, 2010)
% Change 2011 to 2012
1 1 United States 15,684,75 4.0%
2 2 China 8,227,04 12.4%
3 3 Japan 5,963,97 1.1%
4 4 Germany 3,400,58 -5.7%
5 5 France 2,608,70 -6.1%
6 7 United Kingdom 2,440,51 0.4%
7 6 Brazil 2,395,97 -3.9%
8 9 Russia 2,021,96 6.5%
9 8 Italy 2,014,08 -8.3%
10 10 India 1,824,83 -0.7%
11 11 Canada 1,819,08 2.1%
12 12 Australia 1,541,80 3.4%
13 13 Spain 1,352,06 -8.6%
14 14 Mexico 1,177,12 1.6%
15 15 Korea 1,155,87 3.5%
16 16 Indonesia 878,198 3.8%
17 18 Turkey 794,468 2.6%
18 17 Netherlands 773,116 -7.7%
19 19 Saudi Arabia 727,307 8.6%
20 20 Switzerland 632,400 -4.3%
21 24 Islamic Republic of Iran 548,895 10.7%
22 21 Sweden 526,192 -2.3%
23 25 Norway 501,101 2.1%
24 23 Poland 487,674 -5.1%
25 22 Belgium 484,692 -5.8%

The Top 50 Global Economic Entities, 2012 – the next 25
Rank
2012
Rank
2011
Country/ Corporation Country of Companies GDP/Revenues (US$
million, 2010)
% Change 2011 to 2012
26 31 ROYAL DUTCH SHELL Netherlands 484,489 28.1%
27 27 Argentina 474,954 6.8%
28 26 Taiwan Province of China 473,971 2.1%
29 32 EXXON MOBIL U.S. 452,926 27.7%
30 28 WAL-MART STORES U.S. 446,950 6.0%
31 29 Austria 398,594 -4.7%
32 38 BP U.K 386,463 25.1%
33 30 South Africa 384,315 -4.5%
34 37 Venezuela 382,424 20.8%
35 41 SINOPEC GROUP China 375,214 37.2
36 36 Columbia 366,020 11.7%
37 33 Thailand 365,564 5.8%
38 34 United Arab Emirates 358,940 5.0%
39
48
CHINA NATIONAL
PETROLEUM China 352,338 46.7%
40 35 Denmark 313,637 -6.0%
41 40 Malaysia 303,527 5.4%
42 42 Singapore 276,520 4.1%
43 46 Nigeria 268,708 10.1%
44 44 Chile 268,177 6.8%
45 45 Hong Kong SAR 263,021 5.7%
46 51 STATE GRID China 259,142 14.5%
47 50 Egypt 256,729 9.0%
48 52 Philippines 250,436 11.4%
49 43 Finland 250,126 -5.1%
50 39 Greece 249,201 -14.1

BUT: The number of corporations among the world’s 100
largest economic entities has fallen 20% since 2000 – WHY?
Note: A key study
was done in 1996
by Sarah Anderson
and John Cavanagh
of the Institute of
Policy Studies
which found 51
companies in the
world’s top 100
global economic
entities using the
same approach.
(See Corporate
Empires,
Multinational
Monitor, December
1996, Volume 17,
Number 12.)
Number of companies among the Top 100
global economic entities
50
45 44 44 42 40 40
2000 2005 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012

THE BRICS AND BEYOND (“B&B”): AN
OPPORTUNITY AND A MINDSET FOR
GROWTH

The first decade of the 21st century saw a generational
shift in economic power – one that will continue
2000
2011
2050
160%
1550%
2100%
Developed markets
Emerging & other markets
Growth markets
RealGDPgrowth
(projected)since2000
31%
23%
46%
9%
13%
Source: Goldman Sachs
78%
63%
12%
25%

There is a clear change in the corporate world order
towards the BRICS and beyond (B&B)…
Key shifts in the Fortune Global 500 List
• US firms still dominate with 132 companies in 2012, but this is down from 186
companies in 2001
• Chinese companies now number 73 on the 2012 list, including three of the top 10,
versus just 12 in 2001
• Today Asian headquarters are dominating with more than 34% (172 companies) of
Global 500 firms, a huge increase from 118 companies in 2001, while North American
headquarters represented only 29.2% or 146 companies down from 215 companies
in 2001.

The evolution of the Top 100 global economic entities shows the
emergence of these new global challengers
Sources: IMF, World Bank, Fortune Global 500
49
40 36 40 36 34 32
1
5 8 4
6 6 8
2000 2005 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
U.S, Europe, Japan RDEs
Number of Companies from Developed Countries
and RDEs in the Top 100 Global Economic Entities
Number of Companies from Developed Countries
and RDEs in the Top 150 Global Economic Entities
91 83 74 76 72 73 70
5
9
12 12 15 15 17
2000 2005 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012
U.S, Europe, Japan

Compared with developed world multinationals, B&B players
have a mindset for growth
“There’s a lot of protection of what we built in Europe. We’re protecting our dream
now, and we’re afraid that by giving just one concession that we’re going to lose it all.
But in Asia they’re generally building their dreams, and many of them have very little
to lose. That is a generalization, of course, but there is a dynamic and an energy that
is driven by the hope and belief that tomorrow is going to better. It’s almost tangible.”
Peter Borup, the head of Asia at Norden, the Danish shipping group (and currently
president of Lauritzen Bulkers A/S)
“We are introducing what we call our 10x10 strategy, which means growing ten times
in ten years. This means a compound annual growth rate of 27%. If we make it only to
‘8x10,’ we will do that.”
Adi Godrej, Chairman of The Godrej Group, a consumer goods multinational based
in India
Source: Ready? The 3Rs of Preparing Your Organization for the Future, Thomas W. Malnight, Tracey S. Keys,
Kees van der Graaf, © 2013, www.3RsReady.com

LOOKING FORWARD: NEW ECONOMIC
PLAYERS, NEW MODELS FOR GROWTH

Urban clout: The growth of the city-state
TODAY:
LARGE CITIES ARE HOME
TO 38% OF THE WORLD’S
POPULATION AND
GENERATE AROUND 72%
OF GLOBAL GDP
FROM 2010-2025:
600 CITIES WILL GENERATE
65% OF OF GLOBAL GDP
GROWTH OR US$ 30
TRILLION – ALMOST HALF
THIS GROWTH WILL BE
FROM THE 440 EMERGING
CITIES
Source: The McKinsey Global Institute
• Already major cities such as London and New York would make the
Top 100 economic entities list.
• By 2025, Istanbul’s GDP could be close to that of Austria, while New
Delhi’s GDP could rival that of New Zealand.

Private clout often comes with a longer term approach
Some private companies would clearly make the Top 100 list – and many are not subject to
short-term pressures from financial markets.
Commodity giant Cargill is
the largest privately held
company in the U.S.
With 2012 revenues of
US$134 billion, it would place
at 87th in the Top 100 list.
Vitol is the biggest
independent energy trader in
the world.
With 2012 revenues of US303
billion, it would place at 41st
in the Top 100 list…
…alongside Malaysia.
Sources: Forbes, Fortune, company websites

State clout: the state-owned enterprise is once again in
ascendance…
Over 10% of the firms on the Forbes Global 2000 list of the world’s
largest companies are state-owned, with combined sales in 2011
equivalent to 6% of global GDP.
13 of the largest energy companies in the world are state-owned –
and between them control between 75% and 90% of the world’s oil
and gas reserves.
Sources: VOX, Forbes, The Economist, Bain

…along with sovereign wealth funds
*This number is a best guess estimate.
Source: http://www.swfinstitute.org/fund-rankings/
Norway
Gov. Pension
Fund – Global
US$664.3
UAE – A.B.
Abu Dubai
Investment
Authority
US$627
China
SAFE
Investment
Company
US$567.9*
Saudi Arabia
SAMA Foreign
Holdings
US$532.8
China
China
Investment
Corporation
US$482
China – H.K.
H.K. Monetary
Authority
Investment
Portf.
US$298.7
Kuwait
Kuwait
Investment
Authority
US$296

THE BOTTOM LINE
147 =
THE NUMBER OF CORPORATIONS (“SUPER-
ENTITIES”) THAT CONTROL 40% OF TOTAL
GLOBAL VALUE CREATION
Source: The Global Network of Corporate Control, Stefania Vitali, James B. Glattfelder, and Stefano Battiston , Swiss Federal Institute of Technology,
http://www.sg.ethz.ch/research/economic_networks/ownership_networks
The “money men” also have significant influence
through control of value creation
The starting point:
43,000 Transnational corporations (TNCs)

TIME FOR RESPONSIBLE CAPITALISM

Why does corporate, urban, state, and super-entity clout
matter?
Spheres of influence
• Employment
• Value creation/wealth distribution
• Economic and social policies, legislation and regulation
• Research and innovation
• Trade
• Investment
• Resource use and sustainability
• Environment
• Role models for the future of business and society
• Global challenges, e.g. water, food, energy security
Influence
that is often
greater than
that of the
nations,
societies and
communities
in which
large
corporations
operate

Perhaps they have a point…
This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0 License. Author: Crispin
Semmens.

As global challenges increase, so do expectations of
business to step up to a bigger role in society
• “As business we need to start becoming part of the solution to today’s challenges. Not
just because it’s time for business to be givers and not takers from the system that gives
us life in the first place, but because the only way to guarantee long-term prosperity is to
grow our businesses in line with the needs and aspirations of the communities we serve.
• “There is a huge opportunity for businesses that embrace this new model of responsible
capitalism, but it does require a different approach. This goes well beyond CSR. It’s about
moving to a licence to lead, where business sees itself as part of society and not separate
from it; where the focus is on the long term, not on quarterly earnings; and where the
needs of citizens and communities carry the same weight as those of shareholders. It
moves business well beyond the concept of shared value to one of shared responsibility –
shared responsibility for developing more inclusive and equitable growth within the
constraints of the planetary boundaries.”
Paul Polman, CEO of Unilever
Source: Ready? The 3Rs of Preparing Your Organization for the Future, Thomas W. Malnight, Tracey S. Keys,
Kees van der Graaf, © 2013, www.3RsReady.com

The challenge for major corporates with
global clout, both those on the list of the Top
100 global economic entities, the 147
economic super-entities, and those beyond,
whether SOEs or private, is to recognize and
to act on the mutual interdependence
between nations, societies and firms.

It’s time for responsible capitalism.
How is your organization tackling the
challenge?

www.globaltrends.com
This presentation is adapted from the article “Corporate Clout 2013: Time for
Responsible Capitalism,” by Tracey Keys, Thomas Malnight and Christel Stoklund,
first published in June 2013 on www.globaltrends.com.
To access the list of the top 100 economic entities and further analysis click here.
About the Authors
Tracey Keys is a Director of Strategy Dynamics Global Limited, publisher of www.globaltrends.com. She works with
senior executives worldwide on complex strategy issues and to translate global trends into action today. Thomas
Malnight is a professor of strategy and general management at the International Institute for Management
Development (IMD), in Lausanne, Switzerland. Christel Stoklund is Head of Research of Strategy Dynamics Global SA.

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