Transnational corporations (TNCs) have a central role to play in globalization.
At the same time, globalization carries risks for the corporation, and not all
of those associated with TNCs may support globalization. While much of the
globalization literature suggests that corporations are globalizing their
production systems, or contributing to a global culture, there is little
exploration of how globalization is framed and mediated within the corporate
community itself. This article employs a semiotic analysis of images and texts
from annual reports of Fortune Global 500 corporations. It argues that
globalizing TNCs generate several narratives geared to persuading employees,
shareholders, business partners and members of the financial community of the
merits of globalization. They can be divided into at least three types geared to
brand, industry leadership or organization. The narratives all have common
themes to the extent that they are rooted in a customer focus, but they also
demonstrate multiple and sometimes ambiguous global aspirations and
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