There are many metrics we can talk about in gauging the social, political, and economic power of multinational corporations, particularly in the developing world; but I think the easiest way to help illustrate their significance is just to ask you to imagine that, for example, you are at a lecture and Bill Gates walked into the room.
How would the atmosphere in the room change? If he were listening to the lecture, everyone else would be filtering the speaker’s words through Bill Gates’ reactions to them. If he nodded, everyone would nod. If he frowned, everyone would frown.
And at the end of the lecture, the room would likely come down around him like an avalanche.. We would all flock to him like refugees at an aid truck distributing bags of rice.
Maybe he can give us a job, maybe he can donate to our cause, maybe he can introduce us to other important people, maybe he will agree to serve on the board of our organization; etc, etc.
He would not even have to say or do anything to become the most important person in the room. Anything he suggested would be eagerly accepted, and everyone would want him to be happy.
His presence is implicitly accompanied by a perception of tremendous opportunity.
Well, that, briefly, is what happens when multinational corporations enter a poor, developing country.