Everything About MNCs And How They Actually Impact Host Countries

How MNCs Actually Impact Host Countries

It is possible this may be part of your daily routine, you roll out of bed, slip on your Nike trainers, grab your iPhone to check Instagram, then head to Starbucks for your morning caffeine fix before popping into Tesco on your way home. Sounds like a pretty standard Tuesday, right?

In reality you've just interacted with four multinational companies before you've even properly started your day. And whether you realise it or not, each of these companies is having a massive impact on the UK (your host country) in ways that go way beyond just selling you stuff.

IB Business Management What Is a Multinational Company?

Right, let's get the textbook definition out of the way first. A multinational company (MNC) is an organisation that operates, owns, or controls production and / or service facilities in two or more countries. Usually, they've got their headquarters (or head office) chilling in their home country whilst running operations all over the globe.

Think of them like that mate who's got houses in multiple countries - they're legally based in one place but they change living locations through the year.

Some IB Business Management real-life examples you'll definitely know: Apple (American, but with operations in China, Ireland, and everywhere in between), Shell (British-Dutch oil giant operating in over 70 countries), HSBC (British bank that literally has "Hong Kong and Shanghai" in its name), and Unilever (the people behind everything from Dove soap to Ben & Jerry's ice cream).

Why Do MNCs Bother Going Global?

Imagine you've built a great business in the UK. Sales are great, customers love you, but eventually... you hit a ceiling. The UK market is only so big, innit? So what do you do? You look abroad. That's basically the MNC origin story, but there's more to it.

The Real Reasons MNCs Spread Their Wings

1. Access to Massive Markets When Nike sells trainers in the UK, that's decent. But when they sell in the UK, China, India, Brazil, and 166 other countries? It makes the whole difference. More customers = more money. Simple maths.

2. Brand Power Once you're big enough, your brand becomes a passport. McDonald's can open in nearly any country and people already know what to expect. That golden M is basically a universal language at this point.

3. Economies of Scale (The Bigger, The Cheaper) When you're making millions of products instead of thousands, the cost per item drops dramatically. It's like buying in bulk at Costco but on a corporate level, huge possible benefits.

4. Chasing Cheaper Everything This is where it gets a bit dodgy (we'll come back to this). Many MNCs hop countries to find cheaper labour, lower taxes, or cheaper raw materials. Nike doesn't make most of its shoes in America - they're made in places like Vietnam and Cambodia where wages are significantly lower. Is that smart business or exploitation? Hold that thought.

5. Risk Management If your entire business is in one country and that economy tanks, you're done. But if you're spread across 50 countries and one has a recession, the others can carry you through. It's like not putting all your eggs in one basket, except the baskets are countries and the eggs are billions of pounds.

6. Market Development Strategy When your home market gets saturated (everyone who wants your product already has it), you've got to find fresh faces. It's why we're seeing Chinese phone brands like Xiaomi and OnePlus aggressively pushing into Europe - the Chinese market is packed, so they're hunting for growth elsewhere.

7. Untapped Potential Some markets are absolutely bursting with potential customers who don't have access to certain products yet. Starbucks saw China as this massive opportunity and went from zero stores to over 7,000 in just a couple of decades. That's the kind of growth that makes investors alert.

But It's Not All Sunshine and Profit Margins

Operating in multiple countries isn't a walk in Hyde Park. MNCs face cultural differences (what works in London might bomb in Tokyo), legal nightmares (every country has different rules), political risks (hello, Russia kicking out foreign brands in 2022), and the absolute headache of fluctuating foreign exchange rates (imagine pricing products when currencies are bouncing around like a football).

IB Business Management MNC Impact on Host Countries

Alright, this is where things get really interesting. When an MNC sets up shop in a host country, it's similar to dropping a massive boulder in a pond - the ripples spread everywhere. Let's break down what actually happens.

When MNCs Actually Help:

1. Jobs, Jobs, Jobs

This is the big one. When Amazon builds a fulfilment centre in the UK, that's thousands of jobs created. When Apple opens an office, that's hundreds of highly-skilled positions. MNCs are massive employers.

IB Business Management Real-life Example: Take Amazon UK - they employ tens of thousands of people across warehouses, offices, and delivery networks. That's thousands of families with income, mortgages getting paid, bills getting covered. In areas with high unemployment, an MNC setting up can literally transform communities.

Even when there are controversies (and there are some), the employment numbers are undeniable.

2. Skills Upgrade for the Workforce

MNCs don't just hand out jobs - they hand out training. When you work for a multinational, you're learning systems, processes, and skills that are often world-class.

A person who works in logistics for Amazon isn't just moving boxes - they're learning supply chain management, data systems, and operational efficiency that would cost tens of thousands to learn through formal education. That skill development stays in the host country even if the worker eventually leaves for another job. It's like the MNC is accidentally running a nationwide training programme and upgrading local employees skills.

3. Local Suppliers Get a Boost

Here's something most people don't think about: MNCs need stuff, raw materials, goods, products. And a lot of that stuff gets bought locally.

When Nike makes trainers in Vietnam, they're buying materials, packaging, and services from local Vietnamese suppliers. That's revenue flowing into local businesses. The MNC becomes this economic anchor that supports dozens or hundreds of smaller local companies.

4. Competition Forces Everyone to Level Up

Remember when Aldi and Lidl (German MNCs) came to the UK? Suddenly, Tesco, Sainsbury's, and Asda had to seriously up their game. Prices dropped, quality improved, customer service got better.

That's the power of MNC competition - it forces domestic businesses to innovate or die. And consumers? We benefit massively from that battle.

5. Better Products, Better Choices

Before MNCs expanded globally, consumers in many countries had limited choices. Now? You can get Korean electronics, German cars, American tech, Japanese fashion, Swedish furniture... all in one city.

MNCs give consumers access to higher quality products and more variety. It raises living standards and gives people options they never had before.

6. Knowledge Transfer

When MNCs operate in host countries, they bring their technical knowledge and best practices with them. Local businesses watch, learn, and copy (In every way).

It's called benchmarking - looking at what the successful companies are doing and adapting those practices. Over time, this raises the overall business skills and capability of the entire country.

7. Tax Revenue (When They Actually Pay It)

Profitable MNCs pay corporate taxes to the host government. That money funds schools, hospitals, roads, and public services. In theory, anyway.

IB Business Management Real-life Example: Shell, one of the UK's largest companies, generates massive revenue and pays billions in taxes. That's money flowing into the UK Treasury that then gets spent on public services.

In theory. We'll get to the tax bit soon, don't worry.

When MNCs Become the Villain:

Alright, let's keep it real. For all the good MNCs bring, there's an obvious dark side that doesn't make it into the glossy corporate brochures.

1. Crushing Local Competition

When a massive MNC enters a market, local businesses can get absolutely demolished. They just can't compete with the scale, prices, and brand power.

Think about it: How is your local independent coffee shop supposed to compete with Starbucks when Starbucks can afford prime locations, massive marketing budgets, and can undercut prices because they buy coffee beans in quantities a local business can only dream of?

Many domestic businesses simply don't have the financial and human resources to survive against these giants. It's David vs. Goliath, except Goliath usually wins.

2. The Exploitation Question

Here's where things get uncomfortable. Some MNCs - and let's not beat around the bush here - exploit host countries, especially developing ones.

IB Business Management Real-life Example Nike in Cambodia is a perfect example. Recent investigations in 2025 found that workers in Cambodian factories making Nike products were earning minimum wage (around £204 per month) whilst working in conditions where people were literally fainting from overtime and exhaustion. Nike claims workers earn 1.9 times minimum wage, but payroll ledgers from actual factories told a very different story.

When rules and regulations are more relaxed in certain countries, some MNCs take advantage. Employee exploitation, environmental damage, resource depletion - it all happens when profit becomes the only priority and oversight is weak.

3. Cultural Clash and Social Tension

Not everyone wants a McDonald's on their high street. Not everyone is buzzing about American or European companies setting up shop and changing the local landscape.

Sometimes MNCs bring cultural shifts that create social and political tensions. Local traditions and ways of life get disrupted. In 2025, we've seen massive boycott campaigns against Western brands in various countries due to political stances, perceived cultural imperialism, or geopolitical tensions.

IB Business Management Real-life Example: Starbucks has faced boycotts across multiple countries over the past few years, with customers in the Middle East and beyond organising campaigns that have seriously dented sales. The company even had to lay off 2,000 employees in the Middle East due to these pressures. That's the power of cultural and political friction.

4. The Profit Repatriation Problem

When an MNC makes profit in the host country, a huge chunk of that money often gets sent back to the headquarters in the home country. So the UK might provide the labour, the customers, and the infrastructure, but the profits? They're on a plane to America, Switzerland, or wherever the head office is.

Without those profits being reinvested in the host country, employment growth stagnates and GDP doesn't benefit as much as it could. The wealth leaves, taking the potential benefits with it.

5. The Tax Dodging Scandal

IB Business Management Real-life Example: Starbucks became infamous in the UK for paying only £8.6 million in corporation tax over 14 years, despite generating over £3 billion in sales. How? By using complex corporate structures: the UK branch paid high licensing fees to the US parent company, bought coffee beans from the Netherlands subsidiary (where tax rates are lower), and used the Swiss subsidiary for "miscellaneous services."

The result? The UK operation declared losses whilst the company was clearly profitable globally. It's technically legal, but is it right? That's the question that sparked massive protests and damaged Starbucks' reputation.

McDonald's faced similar scrutiny, with EU investigations into whether Luxembourg gave them sweetheart tax deals that let them dodge proper taxes across Europe.

When MNCs use aggressive tax avoidance strategies, host countries lose billions in tax revenue. That's money that could fund the NHS, schools, and infrastructure. Instead, it's sitting in tax havens or being shuffled through complex corporate structures.

6. The Power Imbalance

Some MNCs are so ridiculously large that they can basically bully governments.

When a company employs tens of thousands of people and contributes billions to the economy, they have leverage. They can threaten to leave if they don't get tax breaks, looser regulations, or other favourable treatment. Governments, terrified of job losses and economic damage, often cave. As a matter of fact governments often subsidise multinationals to stay in their countries.

IB Business Management Real-life Example: In 2025, we saw AstraZeneca (a major pharmaceutical MNC) pause a £200 million expansion in Cambridge and axe projects in Liverpool, citing concerns about UK drug pricing policies. Other pharma giants like Eli Lilly and Merck followed suit, pulling back investments. That's MNCs flexing their muscles, and governments struggle to push back effectively.

Countries also struggle to reach agreements on how to tax MNCs in ways that are equitable and transparent. These companies operate across borders, and current tax systems weren't built for this level of global complexity.

The Bottom Line for your IB Business Management Course

So are MNCs good or bad for host countries? The answer is frustratingly simple: it depends on the context.

They create jobs and bring investment, but they can also exploit workers and dodge taxes. They offer quality products and healthy competition, but they can destroy local businesses. They transfer knowledge and skills, but they repatriate profits and sometimes strong-arm governments.

The reality is that MNCs are neither heroes nor villains - they're massive, complex organisations operating in an equally complex global system. The impact they have on host countries depends on regulation, oversight, corporate ethics, and whether governments have the backbone to hold them accountable.

As future business leaders, your job isn't to blindly worship or mindlessly hate MNCs. It's to understand them - their motivations, their impacts, and the systems that enable both their best and worst behaviours.

Because whether you're buying those Nike trainers, grabbing that Starbucks coffee, or working for one of these giants someday, you're part of this system. And the more you understand it, the better equipped you'll be to navigate it - or even change it if you have the opportunity.

IB Exam Gold: What You NEED to Remember

• MNC Definition: Organisation operating in 2+ countries with headquarters in home country

• Growth Reasons: Market access, economies of scale, cost savings, risk spreading, brand power, market development, untapped opportunities

• Positive Impacts: Employment creation, skills development, support for local suppliers, increased competition, better consumer choice, knowledge transfer, tax revenue

• Negative Impacts: Destruction of local businesses, potential exploitation of workers/environment, cultural tensions, profit repatriation, tax avoidance, excessive influence over governments

• Key Complications: Cultural differences, legal variations, political risks, foreign exchange volatility

Pro tip for exams: Always give both sides when discussing MNC impact. IB Business Management examiners love balanced analysis that shows you understand the complexity. Use real-world examples (Nike in Cambodia, Starbucks tax issues, AstraZeneca UK pullback) to demonstrate application - that's where the top marks live.

Stay well,