Edward Lawrence Wheelwright - Study of Transnational Corporations

Study of Transnational Corporations

Wheelwright was a vocal critic of the influence of transnational corporations in the politics of sovereign countries. Writing in 1982 with G.J. Crough, he argued:

"The kind of state that transnationals have opted to work closely with ... are some of the most repressive of states in the world which, in order to provide the political stability, good investment climate and cheap, disciplined labour so beloved of transnational managers, have repressed political demands, depoliticised the populace, destroyed political institutions, and emasculated organised labour. ... There are those who argue that such repression shows the true face of capital, liberal capitalism being an historical aberration."

Along with fellow University of Sydney economist Gregory Crough, Ted Wheelwright was one of the founding members and permanent staff of the Transnational Corporations Research Project, set up through the University of Sydney in July 1975. The stated goal of the project was to "provide information on, and initiate research into aspects of foreign investment, and the activities of transnational corporations in Australia." Publications of the project assert three objectives;

"(a) the publication of books, research monographs, working papers and data papers,

(b) the building up of a library of books, articles and relevant journals...

(c) the establishment of relationships with similar research projects in other countries..."

Through the project Wheelwright kept a correspondence with the United Nations Information and Research Centre on Transnational Corporations, the Transnational Institute in Washington, and an institute of the same name in Amsterdam. More than forty documents were published by the Transnational Corporations Research Project.