經(jīng)貿(mào)外文翻譯--與大猩猩共舞背后的故事跨國合作策略

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4、</p><p>　　指導(dǎo)教師（簽字） </p><p><b>　　年 月 日</b></p><p>　　本英文原文來自：Ivey Business Journal; Strategic Direction, July/ August 2011, Vol. 28 Iss: 2, p1, 4p</p>

5、<p>　　與大猩猩共舞背后的故事：跨國合作策略</p><p><b>　　普瑞遜塞姆·薩滿恩</b></p><p>　　來源：Ivey Business Journal; Strategic Direction, July/ August 2011, Vol. 28 Iss: 2, p1,4p</p><p>　　摘要

6、：一個小型企業(yè)如果要成功地尋找跨國公司作為合作伙伴，必須確立一些獨(dú)特的觀念。不對稱和其他障礙是可以克服的。本文作者提出一些策略，能夠使小型公司參與跨國合作關(guān)系中去。</p><p>　　關(guān)鍵詞：跨國公司，伙伴合作，小公司，創(chuàng)業(yè)，策略。</p><p>　　諾基亞的首席執(zhí)行官埃洛普·史蒂芬宣布在2011年他的公司與微軟公司建立戰(zhàn)略聯(lián)盟，并強(qiáng)調(diào)：“戰(zhàn)斗設(shè)備已成為戰(zhàn)爭的生態(tài)系統(tǒng)。”事實(shí)

7、上，大型跨國公司（跨國公司）像微軟，諾基亞和其他幾個來建立大型生態(tài)系統(tǒng)包括數(shù)以千計的參與者，從事各種活動點(diǎn)基于價值鏈。但不同于微軟和諾基亞之間的關(guān)系，它匯集了兩家強(qiáng)大的、大型的跨國公司，其中的許多生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的參與者，是?。ㄍǔＪ悄贻p人）的企業(yè)，在生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的中心方面是大大不同的大型跨國公司。對于這樣的參與者，和跨國公司生態(tài)系統(tǒng)提供了一個極好的機(jī)會，但它也提出了巨大的挑戰(zhàn)。在倫敦商學(xué)院教授布瑞肯遜·朱利安和我稱之為“與大猩猩共舞”—

8、—利用這個機(jī)會同時克服挑戰(zhàn)要求。鑒于小型企業(yè)和跨國公司之間的絕對不對稱，我們反對墨守成規(guī)。相反，企業(yè)通過不正統(tǒng)的合作策略的運(yùn)用，形成，鞏固和擴(kuò)大跨國公司關(guān)系。本文介紹了這些戰(zhàn)略，并建議小型企業(yè)如何克服一些跨國合作固有的障礙。</p><p>　　小型企業(yè)可以在跨國合作中可以采用的3種合作戰(zhàn)略。</p><p>　　1.形成與跨國公司的關(guān)系：</p><p>　　大多

9、數(shù)跨國公司希望與類似規(guī)模的伙伴采取直接正面的方法，或者通過一個專門的聯(lián)盟關(guān)系，或通過在對應(yīng)的前瞻性伙伴公司有相當(dāng)?shù)匚坏年P(guān)鍵個人來建立關(guān)系。然而，對于一個尋求跨國公司合作伙伴的較小的公司，缺乏渠道和被重視，加上不對稱的資源，這意味著一個直接的正面的方法將會失敗。相反，一個小型公司最好使用間接手段。就是說，它可能是溝通兩個獨(dú)立的組織的必要的橋梁。利用與當(dāng)?shù)氐拿擞呀⒌目鐕娟P(guān)系可以幫助獲得更大的合作伙伴。所以，例如，一些公共政策倡議為小型

10、公司提供“牽頭”。舉一個例子，一個英國的小公司，肺透明膜病臨床，利用在一個地區(qū)很有影響力的名叫蘇格蘭技術(shù)合作的關(guān)系，來建立與有關(guān)的美國跨國公司在當(dāng)?shù)氐淖庸镜臎Q策者建立聯(lián)系。</p><p>　　2.鞏固與跨國公司的關(guān)系：</p><p>　　已形成了與跨國公司的關(guān)系，小型公司必須通過明確、重視最大價值的方式來確立自己的資格從而強(qiáng)化與跨國公司的關(guān)系。它可以利用跨國公司的互補(bǔ)能力。例如，如果

11、小型公司的貢獻(xiàn)主要涉及專業(yè)技術(shù)，它可以通過跨國公司的營銷能力達(dá)到更大的國際知名度。然而，由于固有的不穩(wěn)定的關(guān)系，小型公司也應(yīng)考慮戰(zhàn)術(shù)，例如來自跨國公司合作伙伴的“模塊化”的知識轉(zhuǎn)移。由于知識離散的傳輸，即使項目被擱置或出軌，不可能實(shí)現(xiàn)至少部分的成功。例如，上述的肺透明膜病臨床的一個案例，卓有成效的協(xié)會與美國跨國公司開發(fā)，但由于后者的改變優(yōu)先級，最終比原計劃提前。即便如此，有價值的成果包括建立一個產(chǎn)品原型已經(jīng)取得的成功——這意味著小型公司

12、的努力并沒有白費(fèi)。</p><p>　　3.擴(kuò)大與跨國公司的關(guān)系：</p><p>　　由于不對稱的資源差異和長期目標(biāo)的不同，小型公司的跨國關(guān)系必將呈現(xiàn)出一個不可預(yù)知的模式。多數(shù)小型公司在很長一段時間能夠成功的與跨國公司有效合作，往往是通過那些有能力跨越組織界限的個人來建立關(guān)系，因此，在開發(fā)資源和知識方面，小型公司也應(yīng)該尋求與跨國公司聯(lián)合進(jìn)行推導(dǎo)來擴(kuò)大的價值鏈活動，在可行的情況下，擴(kuò)大上游

13、和下游效益，從而實(shí)現(xiàn)范圍經(jīng)濟(jì)——越來越熱乎的關(guān)系。舉個實(shí)例來證明，肺透明膜病臨床協(xié)會與美國跨國公司實(shí)現(xiàn)更有效的合作是因為個人及他在全球技術(shù)中的重要作用。他是能夠在在歐洲其他地方甚至北美國利用有技術(shù)專長的同事。</p><p>　　在印度、英國和美國隨后的研究活動中，我發(fā)現(xiàn)，往往能夠成功的與大猩猩共舞的年輕的公司存在著一些“背后”的故事。特別地，我觀察了 “隱藏的故事”的三方面，在下文討論，這可以為與大猩猩相關(guān)的挑

14、戰(zhàn)與機(jī)遇中提供有益的見解，和可能的解決方法。</p><p>　　與大猩猩共舞：“背后”的故事</p><p>　　1.經(jīng)常是“很久以前”。</p><p>　　當(dāng)一開始是能夠形成一個與跨國公司有意義的關(guān)系時，它經(jīng)常變成一個或一個以上的高層管理團(tuán)隊，已有密切關(guān)聯(lián)的跨國公司或者很像它。在跨國公司的結(jié)構(gòu)和規(guī)模上這之前的協(xié)會提供了寶貴的見解，將其分成不同構(gòu)成因素，其中關(guān)鍵

15、的可能是決策者和組織的規(guī)則變化。當(dāng)一個小型公司深入了解這些因素，更能夠在有關(guān)業(yè)務(wù)單位的跨國公司針對適當(dāng)?shù)膫€人，拋出有說服力的合作和時間方法來最大限度的接受積極的回應(yīng)。這一切，當(dāng)然，說比做容易，因為商業(yè)環(huán)境的復(fù)雜性和活力，在一個跨國公司里可以是一個移動的圖片。</p><p>　　然而，主要的一點(diǎn)是，知道跨國公司的管理的小型公司的領(lǐng)導(dǎo)人更比那些不知道來建立關(guān)系的人要好建立關(guān)系。例如，軟件的公司麥頭肯很有信心地與摩托

16、羅拉建立關(guān)系，因為創(chuàng)建的團(tuán)隊先前在另一家大型跨國公司的經(jīng)驗。這方面的經(jīng)驗幫助了解，作為一個小型公司，通過引入自己的新技術(shù)并達(dá)到跨國公司無法達(dá)到的地方，他們?nèi)绾蝸碓黾咏o一個看似自給自足的跨國公司增加價值。</p><p>　　考慮斯佩德沃克斯軟件服務(wù)的情況，在印度浦那一家小型公司，能夠迅速與微軟建立一個強(qiáng)有力的關(guān)系。比多數(shù)同行，這家公司似乎非常擅長知道誰的做法，以及如何產(chǎn)生牽引力的建議。在進(jìn)一步的調(diào)查中，作為創(chuàng)始人

17、之一的r巴格瓦特·姆納達(dá)，曾在休利特帕卡德的一個團(tuán)隊工作，在西澳雷德蒙完全與微軟工作。在這個過程中，巴格瓦特密切關(guān)注微軟內(nèi)部以及與聯(lián)盟伙伴密切關(guān)注。巴格瓦特曾從他早期的工作中獲得這方面的知識和接觸，事實(shí)證明是非常寶貴的。當(dāng)小型公司試圖與微軟建立聯(lián)系的創(chuàng)始團(tuán)隊本身缺乏第一手的經(jīng)驗，它卻可以很好地使管理者具有。</p><p>　　2.有可能是“一個曲折的故事”。</p><p>　

18、　舉一個有趣的例子，一家小型公司與一家總部位于班加羅爾芒果技術(shù)的跨國公司是合作伙伴關(guān)系。它與美國公司通是合作伙伴關(guān)系。然而，通不是它第一個接觸到的跨國公司。事實(shí)上，它更像是一場“第三次機(jī)會”。第一個它所接觸到的跨國公司表示跟它一起工作有極大的興趣。雖然短期創(chuàng)收是可行的和具有吸引力的，但沒有真正進(jìn)入公司的核心專長，它明確成為芒果的創(chuàng)始人的標(biāo)志性活動是跨國公司的青睞的追求。</p><p>　　此后，芒果退出協(xié)會并尋

19、求與另一個跨國公司的關(guān)系。這標(biāo)志性活動在適當(dāng)?shù)臅r間將芒果技術(shù)知識展示出來。但是，三個月后，它開始意識到，走這條路將有損它實(shí)現(xiàn)其終極目標(biāo)。再次地，它放棄了那家跨國公司關(guān)系——而這一次，因為機(jī)會很好，幾乎沒提什么要求。然而，為了決心堅持他們的計劃，小型公司的創(chuàng)始人繼續(xù)探索其他的可能性，這致使了與通的合作關(guān)系，這證明了合作伙伴關(guān)系是互惠（見方框）。</p><p>　　芒果技術(shù)：建立一個深入的跨國公司的關(guān)系。</

20、p><p>　　舉一個關(guān)于小型公司如何能有效地保障與跨國公司的關(guān)系的例子，具體地是，總部位于班加羅爾的芒果技術(shù)與通的跨國合作關(guān)系。芒果創(chuàng)建于2006，當(dāng)時是一家專注于移動電話的細(xì)分市場的底部結(jié)構(gòu)的軟件產(chǎn)品的小型公司。在一年之內(nèi)，局部地提高了其知名度和信譽(yù)，芒果試圖進(jìn)一個著名的地方商業(yè)學(xué)校，班加羅爾的印度金屬學(xué)會。經(jīng)過嚴(yán)格的選拔程序，公司付諸的努力收獲了回報。</p><p>　　從一開始，芒果

21、的首席執(zhí)行官梅何森瓦瑞·蘇尼爾從跨國公司的規(guī)模和技術(shù)市場兩個方面來觀察與跨國公司合作的前進(jìn)方向。經(jīng)過多種選擇這樣做（平行）探索，芒果成功地在合作伙伴人際網(wǎng)中向通的技術(shù)訪問經(jīng)理展示了它的技術(shù)。由于它迅速向他證明了芒果的技術(shù)是直接關(guān)系到他自己的在通的前程，該技術(shù)得到了經(jīng)理的直接關(guān)注。這次一連串的對抗使芒果和通在出售知識產(chǎn)權(quán)（簡稱IP）達(dá)到了一個利潤豐厚的高潮，這被稱為印度商業(yè)媒體作為一個獨(dú)特的“數(shù)百萬美元的交易”。</p&g

22、t;<p>　　從一個相當(dāng)隨意的碰面到一個高額利潤的知識產(chǎn)權(quán)銷售的一個成功的旅程可以作為一個“深入”的關(guān)系漸進(jìn)的過程來描述。就是說，經(jīng)過一段時間，合作關(guān)系通過細(xì)粒度的信息交流，共同解決問題來體現(xiàn)信賴，這又反過來促進(jìn)了小型公司的學(xué)習(xí)成果。這個漸進(jìn)的步驟包括以下內(nèi)容：一個過程開始讓芒果體現(xiàn)它的技術(shù)在通的技術(shù)平臺技術(shù)更加精心。當(dāng)這圓滿實(shí)現(xiàn)，盡職盡責(zé)后，下一步是準(zhǔn)備研發(fā)協(xié)議允許通展出但非市場化的芒果產(chǎn)品。它也使通在產(chǎn)品接觸前的全球

23、客戶優(yōu)先內(nèi)部評價芒果產(chǎn)品。 然后，一個允許通上市芒果軟件連同自己的芯片組的商業(yè)協(xié)議簽署了。最后，簡而易見，通過獲得，能利用最有效芒果的技術(shù)，最終導(dǎo)致一個如上所述的網(wǎng)絡(luò)銷售。</p><p>　　除了兩個相當(dāng)不同的組織明顯的匹配性，成功的關(guān)系進(jìn)展的關(guān)鍵有兩個因素。第一，芒果一心一意致力于提供靈活有效的技術(shù)。其次，通巧妙地談判取得了內(nèi)部官僚機(jī)構(gòu)在芒果的技術(shù)開發(fā)工作中提供支持。無論是在通的圣迭戈的總部還是其在印度的行動

24、，特別的努力的關(guān)鍵人物，是“內(nèi)部冠軍“芒果。在這個例子中，這些努力包括，不干涉從而使芒果能夠瞄準(zhǔn)一家小型公司。此后他們提供設(shè)備和人力援助技術(shù)和商業(yè)發(fā)展。他們還促成與其他生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的成員包括一個在中國設(shè)計公司的合作關(guān)系。并且他們在一些正式的關(guān)系商業(yè)方面引導(dǎo)芒果，這是一個給小型公司的新的經(jīng)驗。</p><p>　　顯然，構(gòu)建一個小型公司與跨國公司之間深入的關(guān)系不是懦弱者的選擇：這當(dāng)然需要在雙方的部分做一些努力，一旦成功

25、完成，收入的回饋和學(xué)習(xí)成果可相當(dāng)可觀的。（我承認(rèn)研究教授庫馬爾和蘇雷什巴加萬圖拉在印度邦加羅爾管理學(xué)院合作研究芒果和通的關(guān)系。）</p><p>　　因此，主要的一點(diǎn)事，與一家具有吸引力的跨國公司的關(guān)系最初的出現(xiàn)可能是不理想的。在某些情況下，一家小型公司在這個過程中可能會堅持它擁有的并放棄一些它原有的意圖。戰(zhàn)略學(xué)者將這種做法作為緊急戰(zhàn)略，就其本身而言這可能是一個合理的途徑。在其他情況下（例如芒果），那家小型公司能

26、堅持它的目標(biāo)并放棄某些關(guān)系直到它找到一個適合的公司。這是一個深思熟慮的策略。然而，無論戰(zhàn)略是深思熟慮還是緊急，它都一個能改變故事情節(jié)的明顯的可能。這需要小型公司各部門具有靈活性和敏捷性。</p><p>　　3.有并非總是“永遠(yuǎn)快樂”。 </p><p>　　在某些情況下，盡管跟跨國公司有了密切關(guān)系，小型公司可能發(fā)現(xiàn)勢頭受到了阻礙，局勢緊張的進(jìn)行，中斷的前景的想法才是真實(shí)的。盡管這可能發(fā)生

27、的原因有多種，奇怪的是經(jīng)過一段時間后這可能導(dǎo)致小型公司和跨國公司解除親密的聯(lián)盟關(guān)系。雖然在技術(shù)和商業(yè)策略上高度一致是是與一個跨國公司有密切關(guān)系的先決條件，可想而知，隨著時間的推移和提供的產(chǎn)品共同的演變，可能出現(xiàn)重疊的特點(diǎn)和功能，導(dǎo)致摩擦。也就是說，最初的互補(bǔ)性產(chǎn)品可能相互競爭。</p><p>　　這個關(guān)鍵是：與跨國公司在一段關(guān)系中很順利并不能確保是一個永久的事態(tài)，小型企業(yè)應(yīng)該認(rèn)識到與跨國公司結(jié)成聯(lián)盟，隨著時間的

28、流逝，它與跨國公司的沖突將越來越多的可能性。也就是說，初創(chuàng)企業(yè)和其他小型公司能從跨國公司越來越重視他們的事實(shí)得到安慰，不僅因為——作為明顯的觀測指出——他們認(rèn)識到他們從事戰(zhàn)爭的生態(tài)系統(tǒng)。因此，一些跨國公司已經(jīng)想出與小型公司的合作經(jīng)營，反過來，經(jīng)過巧妙的杠桿。要實(shí)現(xiàn)這一目標(biāo)，這是尤其的小型公司在互惠的基礎(chǔ)上主動培養(yǎng)關(guān)系。舉一個在Linxter與微軟的關(guān)系的興旺案例（見方框）。雖然這種積極主動的行為并不排除在路途上有沖突的可能，這讓深思熟慮

29、的企業(yè)家在急流中的與跨國公司有了一個相當(dāng)長的時間的接觸。</p><p>　　Linxter：積極利用跨國公司合作倡議。</p><p>　　跨國公司（MNCs）也開始認(rèn)識到與較小的公司包括創(chuàng)業(yè)公司合作的好處。在某些情況下，創(chuàng)新的安排已經(jīng)到位，通常地形成了一個合作計劃。這樣的舉措提供了一個很好的進(jìn)入跨國公司生態(tài)系統(tǒng)和年輕的公司和跨國公司之間相互作用的結(jié)構(gòu)的切入點(diǎn)。</p>&

30、lt;p>　　BizSpark One，一個在微軟的硅谷校園中運(yùn)行的合作計劃，是一個一些大型公司積極參與創(chuàng)新創(chuàng)業(yè)的各方面越來越成熟的顯著的例子。雖然許多跨國公司的合作計劃涵蓋廣泛的參與者（包括微軟自己的來自世界各地超過3500名成員的“定期”BizSpark One計劃），BizSpark One具有高度選擇性。擁有全球范圍內(nèi)100個有實(shí)力的成員，該計劃的目標(biāo)是確定（通過一個嚴(yán)格的挑選程序）和邀請最具創(chuàng)新創(chuàng)業(yè)的可能產(chǎn)生重大影響并且

31、技術(shù)能夠和微軟聯(lián)盟的小型公司。實(shí)際上，微軟正在尋求在未來可稱為其重要合作伙伴的發(fā)展中的公司，這成為成千上萬的與微軟合作的其他小型公司可以學(xué)習(xí)的例子。</p><p>　　該計劃提供創(chuàng)始成員一個在一對一的基礎(chǔ)上（而不是最典型的合作伙伴項目中的一對多的方式）與微軟建立關(guān)系的機(jī)會，因為小型企業(yè)可指定一個經(jīng)常扮演者良師益友并且連接公司與在需要的領(lǐng)域提供經(jīng)驗的外部導(dǎo)師的客戶經(jīng)理。這個計劃是有時間限制的，通常是12個月的運(yùn)行

32、時間并且要求在一定的地域范圍內(nèi)要覆蓋先進(jìn)的和其他新興的經(jīng)濟(jì)。這個計劃在2009年底沒有大張旗鼓的提出。相反，它的目標(biāo)是去“證明”本身和展示幫助創(chuàng)業(yè)者成功的首要目標(biāo)。這個計劃最知名的網(wǎng)絡(luò)活動的日期是在2010年10月硅谷的一個高峰，聚集了 BizSpark One的創(chuàng)始企業(yè)和其他網(wǎng)絡(luò)合作伙伴和風(fēng)險資本家。</p><p>　　佛羅里達(dá)州的Linxter，專門從事云端通訊技術(shù)，用積極主動的方式中表明這是一個多么年輕的

33、公司，能使它趁機(jī)會提出一個創(chuàng)新的伙伴關(guān)系的倡議，如微軟Biz Spark計劃。這家公司的主動證明了在不同階段的關(guān)系：關(guān)系的形成，關(guān)系的鞏固和關(guān)系的擴(kuò)大。</p><p>　　通過Biz Spark One計劃形成與微軟一對一的關(guān)系，Linxter的首席執(zhí)行官米爾格拉姆討·杰森通過他積極主動地在當(dāng)?shù)剀浖鐓^(qū)的技術(shù)會議上的演講，他打出了知名度。在他很多次談話中，米爾格拉姆討論了微軟的云端技術(shù)。這意味著當(dāng)總部

34、設(shè)在佛羅里達(dá)州的微軟的經(jīng)理正在尋找能在將來被邀請進(jìn)入Biz Spark One計劃的人時，米爾格蘭姆已經(jīng)準(zhǔn)備好了他的雷達(dá)。</p><p>　　在關(guān)系的鞏固中，米爾格蘭姆繼續(xù)積極主動，因為他認(rèn)為，是他在利用責(zé)任。他以多種方式來這樣做。他通過運(yùn)用摘自關(guān)鍵的管理人員的發(fā)布定期新聞稿的引言來利用微軟關(guān)系。他也通過諸如邀請邀請微軟管理層討論他們在linxter-run播客系列中關(guān)于小型企業(yè)的合作倡議的方式在公共的機(jī)會中宣

35、傳來回報。他提倡與微軟其他團(tuán)隊及其他公司進(jìn)行對話來探索合作機(jī)會?？梢?，米爾格蘭姆有效地運(yùn)用的戰(zhàn)略是積極創(chuàng)建與微軟生態(tài)系統(tǒng)的多個接觸點(diǎn)。</p><p>　　因此，戰(zhàn)略，有效是，積極創(chuàng)建多個接觸點(diǎn)在微軟。</p><p>　　為擴(kuò)展關(guān)系，以下2011年2月份的BizSpark One計劃的Linxter“畢業(yè)”，米爾格蘭姆是再次堅定地雷達(dá)有關(guān)微軟經(jīng)理。Linxter已經(jīng)并入另一個微軟倡議側(cè)重

36、于從事云技術(shù)平臺的高度創(chuàng)新的企業(yè)，以及被引入到技術(shù)采納計劃在同一個空間。米爾格拉姆也被邀請成為2011年微軟最有價值人員全球峰會的一個專家小組成員。</p><p>　　從Linxter的BizSpark One計劃中反映了一個經(jīng)驗，米爾格蘭姆觀察得出：“像這樣的程序不提供你一個菜單項，但它給你直接接觸反過來可以幫助你做出有價值的關(guān)系的人，這些關(guān)系可以幫助你來創(chuàng)造進(jìn)一步的相互作用。這完全取決于你自己創(chuàng)造的。”&l

37、t;/p><p>　　鑒于這其中包含的相當(dāng)大的挑戰(zhàn)，可想而知，一些新成立的公司想知道與跨國公司合作的關(guān)系是否有值得麻煩的代價。實(shí)際上，一些小公司，特別是是那些營業(yè)范圍集中在相對較少密集和選擇低洼水果，從事跨國公司可能沒有真正有益的。然而，對于那些有尖端技術(shù)提供的前景，拒絕參與跨國公司可能會導(dǎo)致錯失機(jī)會。并且在全球的野心下對創(chuàng)新創(chuàng)業(yè)企業(yè)而言這真的可能沒有什么選擇只能學(xué)會與大猩猩共舞。</p><p&

38、gt;　　The Hidden Story behind Dancing With Gorillas:</p><p>　　Strategies for Partnering With a Multi National</p><p><b>　　By</b></p><p>　　Shameen Prashantham</p>&

39、lt;p>　　Abstract: A tiny start-up looking to partner with a colossal multinational must develop some original ideas if it is to be successful. Asymmetry and other obstacles can be overcome. This author advances several

40、 strategies that will enable a start-up to enjoy a productive partnership with a multi-national.</p><p>　　Keywords: Multinationals, Partnering, Small firms, Start-ups, Strategy</p><p>　　Announci

41、ng his company’s strategic alliance with Microsoft in 2001, Nakia’s CEO Stephen Elop observed:” The battle of devices has now become a war of ecosystem.” Indeed, large multinational corporations (MNCs) like Microsoft, No

42、kia and several others have come to build large ecosystems comprising thousands of participants that engage in various activities and points on the value chain. But unlike the relationship between Microsoft and Nokia, wh

43、ich brings together two formidable, large MNCs, many</p><p>　　There are 3 partnering strategies that start-ups can employ to work with large multi nationals.</p><p>　　1. Forming MNC relationship

44、s: </p><p>　　Most MNCs wishing to engage with a partner of similar size will take a direct frontal approach to that relationship, perhaps through a dedicated alliance department or through key individuals wh

45、o have direct counterparts in the prospective partner company. For a smaller firm seeking to partner with an MNC, however, the lack of access and attention coupled with the asymmetry in resources means that a direct fron

46、tal approach is likely to fail. Instead, a start-up would be better off using an indir</p><p>　　2. Consolidating MNC relationships:</p><p>　　Having formed a relationship with an MNC, a start-up

47、must establish its credentials by being clear about, and focusing on, the greatest value that it can add to the relationship. It can then leverage the MNC’s complementary capacities. For instance, if the start-up’s main

48、contribution pertains to specialized technology, then it can draw upon the MNC’s marketing capabilities to achieve greater international visibility. However, given the inherent instability in such relationship, the start

49、-up sho</p><p>　　3. Extending MNC relationships:</p><p>　　Given the asymmetry of resources and differences in long=tem objectives, a start-up’s MNC relationships are bound to unfold in an unpred

50、ictable pattern. Start-ups most successful at collaborating effectively with MNCs over a long period of time are often those that build links with individuals who span organizational boundaries and who can, therefore, ta

51、p into resources and knowledge terms, start-ups should also seek to broaden the value chain activities they undertake jointly with MNCs to deriv</p><p>　　In subsequent research on activities in India, Britai

52、n and the U.S., I have discovered that more often than not, there is something of a “hidden story” behind the successes of young firms that have been able to dance with gorillas. In particular, I observed three facets of

53、 the “hidden story” that are discussed below, and which can provide useful insight into the nature of the challenges associated with chancing with gorillas, and possible ways to overcome them.</p><p>　　Danci

54、ng with gorillas: The “Hidden Story”</p><p>　　There often is a “Once upon a Time”.</p><p>　　When a start up is able to forge a meaningful relationship with an MNC it quite often turns out that o

55、ne or more of the top management team has already had a close association with that MNC or one like it. This prior association provides valuable insight into the structure and scale of the MNC, what makes its different c

56、onstituents tick, which the key decision-makers are likely to be, and what the organization’s rhythms are. When there is a deep understanding of these factors the start-up is mor</p><p>　　Nevertheless, the m

57、ain point here is that start-up leaders who know the lay of the land in the MNC are better placed than those who are not so aware then it comes to establishing a relationship. For example, the software start-up Mitoken m

58、ade confident strides in establishing a link with Motorola because of the founding team’s prior experience in another large MNC. This experience helped them understand just how they, as a start-up, could add value to a s

59、eemingly self-sufficient MNC by introduci</p><p>　　Consider also the case of SpadeWorx Software Services, a start-up in Pune, India, which was able to rapidly develop a strong relationship with Microsoft. Co

60、mpared to most of its peers, this company seemed unusually adept in knowing whom to approach and how to generate traction for its proposal. Upon further investigation, it emerged that one of the co-founders, Mnadar Bhagw

61、at, had previously worked for Hewlett Packard, on a team that worked exclusively with Microsoft in Redmond, WA. In the proce</p><p>　　There may be “a twist in the tale”.</p><p>　　A fascinating e

62、xample of a start-up that partnered with an MNC is that of Bangalore-based Mango Technologies. It partnered with the American firm, Qualcomm. However, Qualcomm wasn’t the very first MNC it reached out to. In fact, it was

63、 more of a case of “third time lucky”. The first MNC that the start-up approached evinced interest in working with it. However, it became clear to Mango’s founders that the joint activity that the MNC favored pursing, al

64、though feasible and attractive in the short-t</p><p>　　Thereafter, Mango dropped that association and pursued a second MNC relationship. The joint activity embarked upon this time was suitably oriented towar

65、ds Mango’s technical expertise but, after about three months, the start-up realized that going down that route would detract it from reaching its ultimate goals. Once again, it dropped its MNC relationship- and this time

66、, raised a few eyebrow because the opportunity had been a good one. However, determined to stick to their plans, the start-up’s </p><p>　　Mango technologies: building an embedded MNC relationship</p>

67、<p>　　For an example of how a start-up can effectively engage with an MNC, consider the relationship that Bangalore-based Mango Technologies forged with Qualcomm. Mango was formed in 2006 as a start-up with a focus

68、on building a software product with a niche focus on mobile telephony for base-of-the-pyramid market segments. Within a year, partly to raise its visibility and credibility, Mango sought to enter the incubator of a prest

69、igious local business school, IIM Bangalore. Following a rigorous selec</p><p>　　From inception, Mango’s CEO Sunil Maheshwari viewed partnering with an MNC as the way forward for the company to scale up and

70、take its technology to market. Having explored multiple options to do so (in parallel), Mango succeeded in showcasing its technology to a visiting Qualcomm manager at a partner-networking event. The technology got the ma

71、nager’s immediate attention because it became rapidly evident to him that Mango’s technology was directly relevant to his own agenda at Qualcomm. This enc</p><p>　　The remarkable journey from a rather casual

72、 encounter to a high-profile IP sale can be a described as a progressive process of relationship “embedding”. That is, over time, the relationship came to be characterized by deep trust, fine-grained information exchange

73、, and joint problem solving, which in turn facilitated considerable learning outcomes for the start-up. The incremental steps included the following: A process was initiated to enable Mango to demonstrate its technology

74、more elaborately </p><p>　　Aside from the obvious fit between the two rather dissimilar organizations, two factors appear to have been the key to the successful progression of the relationship. First, Mango

75、single-mindedly devoted itself to being flexible and delivering effectively on the technology front. Second, Qualcomm deftly negotiated internal bureaucracy to provide support for Mango’s technology development efforts.

76、This was particularly down to the efforts of the key individuals, both at Qualcomm’s headquarters in</p><p>　　Clearly, building an embedded relationship between a start-up and an MNC is not for the faint-hea

77、rted: it certainly takes some doing on the part of</p><p>　　both parties, but when successfully accomplished, the payoff in terms of revenue and learning outcomes can be considerable. (I acknowledge the rese

78、arch collaboration of Professors K Kumar and Suresh Bhagavatula at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore in studying Mango’s relationship with Qualcomm.)</p><p>　　The main point here, therefore, is th

79、at what initially appears to be an attractive MNC relationship may turn out to be less than ideal. In some cases, a start-up may stick with what it has and sacrifice some of its original intentions in the process. Strate

80、gy scholars refer to such an approach as emergent strategy, and of itself this can be a legitimate way of progressing. In other cases (such as Mango), the start-up may stick to its guns and drop certain relationships unt

81、il it has arrived at a </p><p>　　There isn’t always a “happy ever after”.</p><p>　　In some cases, despite having developed a close relationship with an MNC, a start-up may discover that the mome

82、ntum has suffered, tensions have crept in and the prospect of discontinuing the association is a real one. While this could occur for a variety of reasons, paradoxically this may result from close alignment between a sta

83、rt-up and an MNC over time. Although a high degree of alignment, in terms of technology and business strategy, is a prerequisite for a close relationship with an MNC, it</p><p>　　The point here is that smoot

84、h sailing in a relationship with an MNC is not guaranteed to be a permanent state of affairs and that start-ups must be cognizant of the possibility that the more it aligns with an MNC over time, the more it could come i

85、nto conflict with it. That said, start-ups and other small firms could take heart from the fact MNCs appear to be taking them more and more seriously, not least because – as evident from the observation noted at the outs

86、et – they recognize that they ar</p><p>　　Linxter: Proactively leveraging an MNC partnering Initiative</p><p>　　Multinational corporations (MNCs) have themselves begun to recognize the benefits

87、of partnering with smaller firms, including start-ups. In some cases, innovative arrangements have been put in place, typically in the form a partnering program. Such initiatives provide a well-defined point of entry int

88、o the MNC’s ecosystem and structure to the interactions between the young firm and MNC.</p><p>　　BizSpark One, a partnering program run out of Microsoft’s Silicon Valley campus, is a striking example of the

89、growing sophistication on the part of some large MNCs to actively engage with innovative start-ups. While many MNCs have partnering programs that cover a broad range of participants (including Microsoft’s own “regular” B

90、izSpark program with over 35,000 members worldwide), the BizSpark One program is highly selective. With a worldwide capacity of 100 members, the goal of the program is to</p><p>　　The program provides start-

91、up members with the opportunity to forge a relationship with Microsoft on a one-to-one basis (as opposed to the one-to-many approach typical of most partnering programs) because start-ups get access to a named account ma

92、nager, who frequently doubles as a mentor and also connects the start-ups to outside mentors with explicit experience in areas of needs. The program is time bound, normally with a 12-month duration and operates in a rang

93、e of geographies covering both ad</p><p>　　Florida-based Linxter, which specializes in cloud-based messaging technology, illustrates how a young firm, by being proactive, could enable it to take advantage of

94、 the opportunity presented by an innovative partnering initiative such as Microsoft’s BizSpark One program. The proactiveness of this start-up is evidenced in different phases of the relationship: forming, consolidating

95、and extending.</p><p>　　In forming its one-to-one relationship with Microsoft via BizSpark One, Linxter’s CEO Jason Milgram was building upon the visibility he had proactively built within the local software

96、 community through speaking engagements at technology conferences. In many of his talks Milgram discussed Microsoft’s cloud-related technologies. This meant that when a Florida-based Microsoft manager was looking for pro

97、spective invitees to BizSpark One, Milgram was already on his radar.</p><p>　　In consolidating this relationship, Milgram continued to be proactive because he believed that the onus was on him to make the mo

98、st of it. He did so in multiple ways. He leveraged the Microsoft connection by using quotes from key managers in periodical press releases. He also reciprocated on publicity opportunities through, for instance, inviting

99、Microsoft managers to discuss their partnering initiatives for start-ups on a Linxter-run podcast series. And he initiated dialogues with other Microso</p><p>　　As for extending the relationship, following L

100、inxter’s “graduation” from the BizSparkOne program in February 2011, Milgram was once again firmly on the radar of relevant Microsoft managers. Linxter has since been absorbed into another Microsoft initiative that focus

101、es on highly innovative firms that work on its cloud technology platform, as well as being inducted into a technology adoption program in the same space. Milgram was also invited to be a panelist at a session of the Micr