The Potential of Digital Technologies in Commercial and Political Communication

Abstract

Transnational corporation is a phenomenon that has become an expression of globalization. In terms of influence and financial capabilities, these corporations can be compared with the state power, and sometimes even surpass it. The capital owned by TNCs makes it possible to participate in the research and development of new technologies in order to increase the efficiency of their functioning and competitiveness in the market. In the era of digitalization, these corporations invest heavily in the development of modern software solutions and their implementation in the workflow. The transfer of documents into electronic format and conducting most of the daily activity on-line speaks about the virtualization of processes occurring in TNCs. The activities of these companies either completely go into the sphere of virtual reality, or partly when the company still produces a material product or organizes its delivery from a sender to a consignee. The purpose of this article is to describe the evolution of the electronic document management in TNC and to evaluate possibilities of applicability of the electronic document management of TNC in the everyday activity of the state bodies. The Danish TNC Maersk (the sea line, which is the leader in the field of container shipping) was chosen as an empirical basis for the research. Obtaining insider information about the functioning of these information systems was made possible thanks to a series of interviews with current and former employees of Maersk. As a model for the interpretation, the theory of the virtualization of society was elected, which is still relevant today. The research conducted in this article contributes both to the development of the theory of virtualization and to the practice of public governance.