Multinational Corporations, Technology Spillovers and Human Rights’ Impacts on Developing Countries

This paper stems from the recognition that, in the current globalized world, the achievement of economic development goals is not necessarily accompanied by improved social conditions, or respect of people’s human rights more generally. Through their internal resources and capabilities, which often exceed those of many developing countries, Multinational Corporations (MNCs) can either positively or negatively condition their route towards development. While there are reported cases of positive economic effects generated by MNCs operations in developing countries, there is also plenty of evidence about MNCs involvement in human rights’ abuses in these countries. To date, no scholarly research has analysed the factors that favour a positive (negative) MNC effect on host developing countries, by looking jointly at economic and human rights’ impacts. This paper is a first attempt to take into account and integrate evidence coming from two distinct streams of literature, which have so far poorly interacted – i.e. studies on MNCs’ economic impact with a focus on technology spillovers; and studies on MNCs’ human rights’ impact on host developing countries.