Dancing with Gorillas: How Small Companies can Partner Effectively
with Multinational Corporations
Shameen Prashantham
University of Glasgow
Department of Management
Centre for Internationalization and Enterprise Research
Glasgow G21 8QQ
UK
s.prashantham@mgt.gla.ac.uk
Julian Birkinshaw
London Business School
Regents Park
London NW1 4SA
UK
jbirkinshaw@london.edu
Paper accepted for publication in California Management Review
July 4th 2008
1
INTRODUCTION
In an increasingly flat and interconnected business world, large multinational
corporations (MNCs) have emerged as the dominant actors on the global stage. Large
MNCs inspire awe in some and attract derision from others, and they receive the lion’s
share of attention during discussions about the impact of globalization on the business
world. But MNCs represent only one part of the globalization story. National
governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have critical roles to play in
shaping the global playing field. And in every developed and developing country there is
an existing body of mostly small and medium sized enterprises that are affected – often in
dramatic ways – by the increasing presence of MNCs in their home markets. It is these
often-overlooked small and medium sized enterprises (hereafter “small enterprises”) that
we focus on in this article.
Globalization is, of course, both a threat and an opportunity to a small enterprise. In
some industries, poorly managed or inefficient local businesses are driven out by ruthless
foreign entrants. And in other industries, local businesses discover they have a level of
agility, market knowledge, and innovative capability that allows them to prosper in the
shadow of their global competitors1. But for those small enterprises that are ambitious
and growth-oriented, it is imperative that they learn to find ways of engaging with large
MNCs who have the complementary resources and capabilities that can lead to, for
instance, an innovative product offering being rolled out on a global scale, or a
worldwide licensing agreement. In other words they must seriously consider, as C K
Prahalad put it recently, learning to “dance with the gorillas” 2.
Consider the case of Dhruva Interactive, a small Indian technology company based in
Bangalore3. Dhruva grew from a one-man operation in 1995 to a five-person team in
1997, at which point it made the critical decision to seek out a global partner. As founder
Rajesh Rao observed, “In March 1997, we partnered with Intel and began the process of
reinventing ourselves into a game company”. This relationship allowed Dhruva to
prosper – it won a major contract with Infogrames Entertainment, a French gaming
2
company the following year, and then a string of further projects, including being
enrolled by Microsoft in 2003 to work on an Xbox title, and having two of their offerings
included in Vodafone’s Top 10 games listing.
But in contrast to Dhruva’s positive experience, many small enterprises end up getting
their fingers burnt while trying to engage in joint activities with large MNCs. Managers
of small enterprises we interviewed during our research spoke of the aggressive tactics
pursued by some MNC partners, the lack of respect for their intellectual property, the
wasted time and effort put into building one-sided relationships, and the loss of face
when plans went awry.
Of course, MNCs too face risks in entering such partnerships – for instance, the prospect
of wasting considerable time and resource if nothing comes of a relationship or if the
partner is surreptitiously exploring in parallel a similar initiative with another MNC.
However if a partnership goes wrong, the consequences are – on balance – far more
likely to be debilitating for a small enterprise.
Small enterprises, in other words, often find themselves facing a very difficult set of
choices as they consider whether and how they should engage with the MNCs in their
local market. And there is surprisingly little advice available to them about how to make
these choices. The purpose of this paper is to take the point of view of these smaller
enterprises, and to evaluate the strategies they are adopting in a globalizing world. We
suggest that a primary way for them to globalize successfully is through partnerships with
local MNC subsidiaries – in their own backyard – which they can subsequently leverage
to generate opportunities on a global scale. We develop a framework to help smaller
enterprises think through the key steps that are needed to form, consolidate, and then
extend their relationships with MNCs in the local market4.
The paper builds on five years of research in which we conducted interviews in more
than 15 companies and collected questionnaire responses from over 100 individual
managers (see box).
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BACKGROUND: OPPORTUNITIES AND RISKS
When confronted by the forces of globalization – including the threats and opportunities
posed by MNC giants – small enterprises face certain generic options in their local
market5. One is to retreat into a local niche, relying on their intricate knowledge of local
conditions and the loyalty of their existing customers. This may work for some, but
sooner or later an inevitable question that arises is how sustainable, in the absence of
protection from competition through government policy, such an approach is. Another
approach is to go it alone and expand internationally in a global niche. Some smaller
firms have achieved this with great success, particularly when led by internationally
minded entrepreneurs6. But this lonesome route is fraught with risk, and not every small
firm pulls it off.
The third generic option, and the one we discuss here, is for small enterprises to actively
seek out relationships with the MNCs in their backyard – to dance with the gorillas. As
noted already, this form of collaboration offers great potential benefits but it also has
potential costs. It is therefore worth evaluating these opportunities and risks in some
detail.
Consider the nature of the opportunity first. For the small enterprise, the opportunity to
collaborate with a large multinational is self-apparent: the MNC represents a potential
source of sales revenue itself; it can provide access to a global marketplace and to its
existing clients, and it offers enormous leverage through its brand and its deep
technological competencies. But what are the benefits to the MNC in engaging with an
unknown small enterprise? Our research identified three benefits:

Small enterprises often have significant complementary assets that the MNC will
struggle to develop efficiently itself – chiefly local knowledge, and access to local
distribution channels and markets. Accordingly, MNCs such as Microsoft and
4
IBM often encourage local software companies to build cutting-edge software
products using their proprietary technologies as a means of building presence in
those local markets that they cannot easily access.

Most large MNCs actively seek out new ideas and innovations on a worldwide
basis; indeed many believe their ability to do this is one of their key sources of
competitive advantage7. Working with small enterprises in local markets
represents an important mechanism for doing this8. For example, Sun
Microsystems engaged with a number of small enterprises in Scotland on RFID
projects in order to bolster its competitiveness in this emerging area.

MNCs want be seen as good corporate citizens, and building relationships with
local partners goes a long way towards creating such an image. For instance, one
American MNC executive with “a huge stake in India” talked about his
company’s innovation-related programmes in conjunction with government and
industry bodies, and how they hoped to create a stronger climate for innovation
and growth in small enterprises. And potentially MNCs could feel a sense of
responsibility toward any spinoffs created from local subsidiaries, such as
Mitoken which was spun out of Motorola India and Wide Blue, spawned by
Polaroid in Scotland.
The potential opportunity for partnering between small enterprises and MNCs is
significant. But the barriers and risks, especially on the part of the small enterprise, are
equally considerable. Our research revealed three particular sets of obstacles that make it
difficult for smaller enterprises and MNCs to work together.
First, there is the lack of access and attention. Small enterprises have restricted access to
the attention of key decision makers in the MNC, which is a very different to the situation
in a MNC-MNC relationship where executives of equivalent stature will happily return
each others calls. Despite the growing imperative for MNCs to absorb new ideas from
across the world, they often struggle to overcome their ethnocentric and bureaucratic
5
biases. Smaller enterprises therefore find it difficult to build the necessary relationships.
Managers we spoke to commented that it is often very difficult to find the right
individuals to approach within the MNC. One Bangalore-based entrepreneur commented
that engaging with large MNCs was the “obvious thing to do”, but he did not know where
to start. And a British entrepreneur noted that “the problem with big companies is getting
attention at high levels where decisions are made”. These problems are compounded by
skepticism on the part of some smaller enterprises about the ability of local MNC
subsidiaries to behave autonomously. As one entrepreneur in India wondered aloud, “Do
these MNC subsidiaries control their own destinies?” A British entrepreneur worried that
while dealing with MNC subsidiaries “the plug may be pulled at any time”. Although
research has found instances of relatively autonomous MNC subsidiaries, they tend to be
the exception rather than the norm9.
A related problem the managers of smaller enterprises face when dealing with MNCs is
that those individuals they have built a rapport with frequently get transferred elsewhere
within the MNC’s global network. Managers in the smaller enterprises we interviewed
commented that their interactions were episodic and fragmented. The cast of individuals
attending meetings from the MNC side changed frequently. And plans and ideas
developed during these meetings often failed to translate into changes in their everyday
activities10.
Second, there are different long-term objectives for small enterprises compared to MNCs.
Most MNCs have explicit strategic plans, established market positions, and well-oiled
operating procedures. Small enterprises, in contrast, are opportunistic and agile; their
planning horizon is measured in months not years; and the prospect of being acquired is
often very real. Faced with such ambiguity over their long-term future, executives in
small enterprises often take a very different approach to alliance management than
executives in established MNCs. There is a latent fear that a predatory larger company
will obtain the lion’s share of the jointly created value11. And the two parties will likely
have different agendas and criteria for assessing outcomes, leading to further tension.
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Third, there is a problem of asymmetry in resources. Small enterprises lack the
reputation, financial muscle and human resources of their potential partners, which is in
direct contrast to the situation in a MNC-MNC relationship where resource profiles are
likely to be more balanced. Indeed, in many respects small enterprises and MNCs are
entirely different species, which makes communication and procreation extremely
difficult. MNCs typically have a clear separation between line and staff roles, many
functional specialists, and explicit processes for every activity. Small enterprises are full
of generalists, many of whom wear multiple hats, and they get things done through ad
hoc and informal processes. As a result, there are rarely clear counterparts for the small
enterprise manager to talk to in the MNC, and the joint execution of everyday activities
can be problematic. Moreover, each is likely to have differing mindsets and
organizational cultures which in turn create impediments to communication and joint
activity.
STRATEGIES FOR ENGAGING WITH MULTINATIONAL CORPORATIONS
Faced with these points of difference, it is not uncommon for small enterprises to give up
altogether on forging collaborative relationships with MNCs. But our research suggested
there are practical and systematic approaches that can be taken to help small enterprises
engage effectively with MNC partners.
A useful and thought-provoking analogy is the concept of strategic asymmetry developed
in the field of military warfare. As with all analogies, this one should not be taken too
literally: alliance partners see their primary mode of interaction as cooperative, though
with a competitive element12, whereas the domain of warfare focuses primarily on
competition. But there are some interesting parallels nonetheless in terms of
understanding how small, flexible entities interact with large, well-organized ones.
Given these realities, and consistent with the wide usage of military ideas in the field of
strategy, we introduce the notion of strategic asymmetry here. Military theorists define
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strategic asymmetry as “the use of some sort of difference to gain advantage”13. In an
asymmetric war where one army faces another with vastly greater resources,14 a
conventional frontal attack is pointless. Instead, an indirect approach is more likely to be
effective, as it enables the smaller army to play to its strengths. Military theory suggests
the following four principles through which a smaller army can apply the concept of
strategic asymmetry15: (1) Ensuring flexibility; efforts must be applied creatively; (2)
Accepting uncertainty; initiatives need to be undertaken in a context of ambiguity; (3)
Undertaking constant review; ineffective tactics must be discarded; and (4) Exploiting
asymmetric advantages; activities must play to unique strengths.
We believe these principles can be applied quite readily to the situation facing small
enterprises that are seeking to “dance with the gorillas.” In reviewing these principles of
military theory, and then bringing them to bear on our empirical observations about how
small enterprises engage with MNCs, we developed the following framework (see also
table 1 which summarizes our arguments).
Figure 1: Key steps for the small enterprise in engaging with a multinational company


FORMING
CONSOLIDATING
Creating links to
MNCs through local
allies

Building commitment:
Using the MNC’s
strength against it.
EXTENDING
Capitalizing on points
of advantage: Building
options for growth

Utilizing the MNC’s
network to enhance
scale and reach.
 Modularizing
knowledge transfer to
reduce vulnerability

Building options for
future growth:
Ambiguity by design
Forming
The traditional model of MNCs forming relationships with other MNCs differs markedly
from the approach small enterprises require. 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 who have direct
8
counterparts in the prospective partner company. In direct contrast, for the small
enterprise seeking to partner with an MNC, the lack of access and attention, coupled with
the asymmetry in resources, means that a direct frontal approach is likely to fail. Instead,
the small enterprise will often use an indirect means of access. In particular, we observed
two common tactics – working with local allies to create links with MNCs, and using the
MNC’s reputational strength against it.
Creating links to MNCs through local allies
An important aspect of any collaborative activity is the initial identification of
appropriate partners16. Rather than a direct frontal approach, the smaller enterprise will
typically attempt to build “bridges” between itself and the potential MNC partner. One
approach we observed was to coopt regional actors that have access to both sides and can
act as honest brokers. A trade body or regional institution17 may be in a position to
provide such assistance, especially in regional clusters18. Such mechanisms can be
particularly helpful for small enterprises given their generally lower visibility within a
local milieu. A striking example is provided by the Scottish Technology and
Collaboration (STAC) initiative which sought to bring together small enterprises and
MNC subsidiaries through alliance activities centered around architecting (of alliances),
brokering and coaching19. One way in which value is added is through legal input to
guide agreements concerning intellectual property ownership. This sort of “handholding” for smaller enterprises can go a long way in helping them to learn how to
engage with MNCs.
In the absence of a suitable forum, another approach for the smaller enterprise is to use
the MNC’s own partnering program initially. Nokia, for example, has a Forum Nokia
which provides guidance on tools and channels for mobile applications, an Insight &
Foresight unit through which small enterprises can engage in joint innovation, and Nokia
Venture Partners which invests in mobile technology start-ups. In India, MNCs like IBM
are actively working with smaller enterprises through partnering programs for
independent software vendors. Another route is through interfacing with MNCs as
clients. While this is not yet the norm, some MNCs are targeting small enterprises with
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tailored solutions in both advanced and emerging economies. IBM, for instance, is
actively focusing on offering low cost technical services to UK based smaller enterprises,
rather than purely focusing on large global companies.
Irrespective of the specific circumstances in which a tie is initiated, the vital principle is
flexibility – and alertness – in the pursuit of an appropriate point of entry. These
attributes were evident in Regio, an Estonian small enterprise that combines cartography
and software skills, facilitating track-and-trace features in mobile telephony. It developed
a successful relationship with the Estonian subsidiary of the Swedish multinational
Ericsson which began through benign interactions when Ericsson, thanks to Regio’s
excellent local networks, wanted to use Regio’s CD Atlas to demonstrate a radio network
product to a prospective Estonian client. As Regio’s Chairman commented, “we were
aware that these relatively low-key interactions were a potentially powerful foot in the
door for a long-lasting relationship. So I think we were lucky, but we certainly helped to
make our own luck here by turning an apparently casual initial exchange into a more
concrete relationship”.
Building commitment: Using the MNC’s strength against it
A second key tactic we observed was securing the commitment of the MNC partner once
an initial agreement had been reached. Of course, commitment from a partner is required
in any sort of commercial relationship. But in this unbalanced context, the process of
building commitment was subtly different to what would be observed in a partnership of
equals. We observed that the costs of commitment, in terms of time and resources, are
typically higher on the part of the smaller enterprise, but the costs of failing to honor the
commitment, in terms of reputational risk, are typically higher for the MNC.
Interestingly, we observed cases of smaller enterprises making explicit use of the MNC’s
own power and status to ensure commitment – similar to a guerilla force using a larger
opponent’s strength to its advantage. As one executive observed, “social sanctions can be
brought to bear if the MNC partner threatens to renege on any of its commitments. These
companies thrive on their reputations for honesty and ethical business. So while we
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would never want to publicize any episodes of unethical behavior, both parties know that
this possibility exists.”
Consider the case of the British venture Tarspan Technology (name disguised). It
believed that it had the capability and opportunity to build a technology centre in
conjunction with a local MNC subsidiary. Believing that the larger organization was
committed to this piece of work, Tarspan devoted many man-hours worth thousands of
dollars to the cause before the MNC walked away from the project citing a change in
technological priorities. Not surprisingly, Tarspan managers referred to this experience as
a “major waste of time”, and they believe that a major error on their part was a failure to
obtain, in writing, the MNC’s commitment at the outset. With the commitment in hand,
they believe the MNC would have been “shamed into seeing the project through”. By
contrast, in its next project with an MNC, Tarspan entered into a written agreement early
on. Tarspan’s executives also consciously identified a senior manager in the MNC with
whom there was “a meeting of minds”. This individual was cultivated as an internal
champion for Tarspan and a focal point for discussions to gain the MNC’s commitment
to the joint activity.
Consider also the case of the Bangalore-based software venture Skelta which was
recognized with an innovation award at Microsoft’s 2006 Worldwide Partner Conference
in Boston. The accolade marked the culmination of sustained efforts by Skelta to engage
with Microsoft, which had begun some three years earlier in its own backyard of
Bangalore. Skelta was a small company that believed it could become a player on the
world stage. It aligned its technologies early on with Microsoft, and this strategy caught
the eye of Microsoft executives. Skelta CEO Sanjay Shah asserted that “Skelta shares a
deep, symbiotic relationship with Microsoft”, and he appointed a senior manager to head
up the company’s “Microsoft relationship function”. Skelta’s partnership worked, in part,
because it leveraged Microsoft’s professed commitment to the local milieu and channeled
it to its own relationship, as implied in the observation of Microsoft’s Rajiv Sodhi, who
was instrumental in fostering the relationship: “Skelta fostered a very strong link with
Microsoft India and this link is on multiple levels…What happens as a result is that the
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India subsidiary stands firmly behind the local company, and it’s not a very distant point
in time when it starts getting elevated to regional levels, to global levels”.
In this case, the positive reputation effects – a source of major strength for large MNCs –
associated with the publicized support for an indigenous small enterprise were leveraged
by Skelta to strengthen commitment from Microsoft India. Although the MNC’s support
was clearly wholehearted, any potential reluctance to continue to be supportive would
likely be countered by the prospect of adverse publicity. In this way, small enterprises
like Skelta are in effect utilizing principles of “judo strategy” which, although primarily
concerned with small enterprises competing with large incumbents, can also be relevant
in the present context of partnering20.
Consolidating
In the traditional model of alliances among MNCs, there are typically well established
processes for consolidating a partnership and making it work – such aspects as how to
structure the relationship, build appropriate governance systems, and appoint the right
managers. By contrast, the asymmetry in the relationship between a smaller enterprise
and an MNC, coupled with the different long-term objectives of the two parties, means
that such processes do not apply to the same level. An unstated truth, for example, is that
the small enterprise is often seen as dispensable by the MNC, and this means the smaller
enterprise needs to think very carefully about how far, and how fast, to develop the
relationship. As a general guideline, smaller enterprises should typically plan for the short
term, though with an eye on the longer-term potential of the relationship. What this
means in practice is a couple of things – one is for the smaller enterprise to capitalize on
specific points of advantage as options for future growth, the other is to modularize its
knowledge development activities.
Capitalizing on points of advantage: Building options for growth
The successful small enterprises we studied were very clear on the genuine points of
advantage that they brought to their MNC partners. Typically these advantages were one
of two types: a specific project that enabled the MNC to gain access to capabilities or
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technologies that were complementary to its own, or a peripheral non-core activity that
the MNC outsourced to an external supplier. On the basis of these key points of leverage,
the smaller enterprises we studied were proactive in seeking out possible options for
further growth. The ability to respond to, and build upon, an initial mandate with great
speed and flexibility is an inherent part of most small enterprises’ asymmetric advantage,
relative to large MNCs where decision-making can be slower.
An illustration of non-core activities is provided by Bangalore firm, Ekomate Systems
which undertook support activities for Lucent Technologies (now Alcatel-Lucent). On
the back of an initial outsourcing stint, Ekomate succeeded in winning the multinational’s
confidence and moved quickly into more extensive onsite activities. As for more
specialist projects, consider for example Arnlea Systems, which specializes in electronic
identification within the North Sea oil and gas cluster in Aberdeen. Arnlea’s initial
assignment in conjunction with an oil and gas MNC and the American technology
company EDS21 involved a nine-month pilot project to improve safety conditions and the
management of material flows from the harbour to sea and back. Diligent efforts in this
initial assignment meant that Arnlea was well placed for more high-value work with
these and other MNCs. At the time of writing, Arnlea had the prospect of a follow-up
project to jointly develop a process innovation in conjunction with another oil and gas
major. By performing well with this initial opportunity, it was able to leveraging this
success to quickly develop further opportunities.
In similar vein, the Estonian software firm Regio was able to develop new facets in its
relationship with Ericsson. The success of its initial dealings, in connection with a
product demonstration to a prospective Estonian client, led to a subsequent opportunity.
Once again, Ericsson wanted to use Regio’s CD Atlas product to demonstrate technology
that would allow Rescue Board dispatchers to locate mobile phones. Regio adopted a
proactive stance and concluded, after examining Ericsson’s technology and its
prospective clients’ needs, that rather more could be done – and that Regio could help
deliver it. In so doing, Regio created a new opportunity for itself which resulted in the
small enterprise being contracted by Ericsson to deliver a sophisticated tailor-made
13
software system, funded in part by a Swedish Baltic IT fund. Regio also leveraged this
opportunity to broaden its own technology offering, and in the process developed an
algorithm for improving mobile positioning accuracy, which fed back into its burgeoning
relationship with Ericsson which led to joint activities across the world in settings as
diverse as Dubai, Morocco, Mexico, Romania and Slovakia22. In all of these cases, the
small enterprises used their asymmetric advantage to act not only proactively but speedily
to consolidate their relationships with multinationals.
Modularizing knowledge transfer to reduce vulnerability
Many alliances between smaller enterprises and MNCs are terminated for reasons beyond
the smaller enterprise’s control. But when collaborative projects are structured to involve
discrete knowledge transfers, there is the possibility of partial success even if the project
gets shelved at some point down the road. This is especially relevant given the
atmosphere of uncertainty and ambiguity within which small enterprises and
multinationals engage, as has been argued. Several of the small enterprises we spoke to
deliberately broke their joint projects down into specific knowledge transfer milestones
for this reason. Pragmatic short-termism calls for ensuring that there are milestones
within a project that ensure identifiable knowledge transfer outcomes. That way, even if
the rug is pulled from under their feet, some good would have accrued for the small
enterprise through the partnership.
For example, Edinburgh-based HMD Clinical created a venture to offer bespoke Weband telephony-based solutions for the control of large clinical trials. Once this project had
got off the ground, HMD then turned its attention to developing a new productized
offering based on RFID technology to overcome human-error based inefficiencies. HMD
believed that an effective way to take their idea to the next level would be to form a
strategic partnership with a large established MNC. Around the same time Sun
Microsystems, the press reported, was keen to set up an RFID testing centre on its
Scottish premises. HMD succeeded in forging a link with Sun and, within six months,
had developed a prototype of the new offering. At that stage, however, decisions beyond
their control led to the termination of their collaboration with Sun. HMD’s modular
14
approach to knowledge transfer, however, meant that it still ended up with a perfectly
functioning prototype of its innovation using Sun’s hardware platform. And it required no
further additional technological development going forward.
Successful small enterprises in India such as Skelta and Ekomate similarly adopted
modular processes to gain learning outcomes. Those that failed to do so were less
effective in capitalizing on their partnerships with MNCs. For example, Knasse (name
disguised) failed to make the most of a promising relationship with Intel in Bangalore
because it did not anticipate the uncertainties and ambiguity that may characterize such a
relationship. As the Knasse executive who oversaw the joint activity with Intel
commented, “We did not do justice to the potential to acquire knowledge through that
association before it ended. We should have managed the process better. This was a
missed opportunity”
Breaking up projects into sub-parts can also yield more manageable experiences to make
sense of, and gain greater insight into, the “gorilla mindset” and alliancing process. In so
doing, small enterprises can cope more readily with the markedly different character of
their partnership compared with conventional alliances involving more evenly matched
MNCs who are well-versed with the art of partnering. And it is all the more relevant
given the pervading ambiguity and uncertainty as small enterprises ponder the future
prospects of their relationships with MNCs.
Extending
The final part of the framework is concerned with how a successful relationship between
a small enterprise and a MNC gets extended. Of course, alliances are unstable by nature,
and even those between large and experienced partners will often end up being dissolved
as the two parties evolve in different directions. However, there is still an important
difference between partnerships between equally-matched firms and those between small
enterprises and MNCs. The traditional equally-matched alliance typically unfolds in a
somewhat predictable pattern, with both sides bringing their prior experience to bear, and
both sides building in contingencies to the contract to allow for dissolution on mutually-
15
acceptable terms. In contrast, the model for how smaller enterprises and MNCs work
together is rarely so well specified, in large part because of the asymmetry in resources
and the differences in long-term objectives. More specifically, the relationship is often
vague by design: for the small enterprise it is presumptuous to push the bigger picture
opportunities too early; for the MNC it is not worth the effort to think the options through
– the smaller partner is typically viewed as a strategic option, and little more. This
means, of course, that the opportunity to extend the relationship for the small enterprise is
often wide open, but at the same time very hard to do, so it becomes a process of
proactively building networks inside the MNC and seeking out ways of adding value
across those networks, while also keeping an eye on the bigger prize. We observed two
approaches in this regard – one involved utilizing the MNC’s network to enhance the
scale and reach of the smaller enterprise, the other involved building options for future
growth, perhaps including being acquired by the MNC partner.
Utilizing the MNC’s network to enhance scale and reach
The very characteristics that make MNCs so different from small enterprises – far greater
scale and reach – can be especially attractive as a means of pursuing long term goals such
as going global or becoming acquired by a major player. However the trajectories of
opportunity generation through these relationships are unpredictable. Indeed, there may
well be unintended consequences – as in asymmetric war – of certain activities and
efforts. The key, then, is for a small enterprise to capitalize on its position as a nonthreatening, low-risk partner, and identify how it can leverage the vast networks the
MNC can give it access to. This calls for deliberately embracing uncertainty and
ambiguity, and on occasion undertaking activities that may only indirectly advance the
small enterprise’s cause.
For example, Mitoken, a software start-up in Bangalore, successfully transformed a
technology-based relationship with Motorola in India into a valuable commercial one.
Initial activities involving Motorola centered around product development in Bangalore.
Subsequently, Mitoken’s product offering was, after rigorous evaluation by the Motorola
Global Software Group based in Chicago23, installed in Motorola’s software development
16
operations across 20 countries. This represented the start-up’s first major international
business breakthrough. Key to achieving this broadening of the activity scope was the
strong commitment to the venture from a Motorola executive in India who had acted as a
mentor to the co-founders who had developed their ideas while working for Motorola in
Bangalore. HMD, the Edinburgh start-up mentioned earlier, also provides an example of
the potential for a broader scope of joint activity. When the prototype of its new offering
was developed, HMD made a joint sales call with Sun which helped enormously in
opening doors to prospective clients. Co-founder Ian Davison described how HMD
“actually managed to demonstrate that prototype to one potential [international]
customer, at the Sun facility in Linlithgow, Scotland”.
To increase the odds of greater joint activity, one way of extending the relationship with
the MNC is for the small enterprise to build networks beyond the local MNC subsidiary
and into other parts of its global organization. A key advantage of extending the
partnership with an MNC in this way is that the small enterprise could enjoy
disproportionate influence with the MNC, which in turn could yield valuable intraorganizational resources. This is especially so when managers in the small enterprise
interact with MNC managers who have worked in other geographies and thus have
personal knowledge of key individuals in other parts of the MNC24. In our research, the
small enterprises that were most successful in collaborating effectively with MNC
subsidiaries were those that built links with such boundary-spanning individuals who
could, in turn, gain access to resources and knowledge elsewhere in the MNC network25.
Thus one firm in Scotland dealt with an MNC technology specialist who himself was
well connected with other European and North American subsidiaries and therefore
could, potentially, obtain useful information. Wider networking within the MNC also
helped to build interpersonal links that resulted in greater visibility for the small
enterprise. For example, Skelta’s alignment with the Microsoft agenda went hand in hand
with the development of a variety of linkages within Microsoft that allowed it to span
boundaries, such as between Bangalore and Redmond, WA. Interestingly, the transfer of
key personnel within the MNC’s global network can be a blessing in disguise for the
17
smaller enterprises, because these managers become useful contacts and boundaryspanners as they rise up the ranks within the MNC.
Building options for future growth: Ambiguity by design
The other key aspect of extending the relationship with an MNC is for the smaller
enterprise to develop a point of view about its long-term objectives, while deliberately
keeping this point of view hidden from the partner company. Even if the executives
running the small enterprise are interested in being acquired by its MNC partner, it is
typically ill-advised for them to let this be known. A multinational partner is likely to be
far more impressed by a small partner that is investing for its long-term growth than one
that is positioning itself for sale. There is, in other words, a value in the small enterprise
setting itself an oblique goal (e.g. build for the long term, with a view to getting acquired
in the medium term), and for its executives to deliberately keep quiet about their longterm objectives26.
The small enterprise faces three generic options regarding its future: it can plan to pursue
an independent future, it can attempt to build a long-term partnership with the MNC, or it
can plan for the possibility of being bought by an MNC. Planning for an independent
future involves the small (and growing) enterprise making some clear-cut decisions about
the markets it wants to play in, and using its relationships with MNCs to help achieve its
objectives. This approach requires vision and tenacity, and it is unlikely to offer an easy
ride, but today’s gorillas – Microsoft, Cisco, SAP and so on – were all small enterprises
in the 1980s that chose to take this path, and are testament to its potential. A
contemporary example of this approach is Dhruva, the Bangalore-based game company
mentioned earlier. Dhruva needed its partnership with Intel to transform itself into a
serious international player, but it subsequently charted its own independent course.
A long-term partnership with one or several MNCs offers a certain amount of security but
may constrain the small enterprise’s growth, and may also lead it into the low-margin
world of subcontracting. But to the extent that the small enterprise is offering a
distinctive product or service, this approach can still be highly successful. For example,
18
the Scottish software company Arnlea is poised to engage with a range of MNCs in the
North Sea oil and gas cluster in Scotland, on the basis of its highly-specialized offerings.
Such long term development reflects a mutual sustained interest in the relationship on the
part of the parties involved.
The prospect of being acquired by an MNC can be both daunting and alluring, and every
successful small enterprise – particularly in the high technology world- has to take this
option seriously. For some small enterprise managers, acquisition is the best way to
leverage its ideas and capabilities. For example, Roslin Biomed, the UK start-up
company behind animal cloning, actively courted the US biotechnology company Geron
to help it leverage its platform technology, and this led to a full acquisition in 2001. For
other small enterprise managers, acquisition is a Faustian bargain that would ideally be
avoided, but often occurs anyway. The Economist recently reported of IBM that: “In the
past four years it has spent about $16 billion on over 50 acquisitions, mostly small
software firms that have thrived after being stitched into the company”27 (for some
takeaways for multinationals, see the sidebar ‘Dance Lessons for Gorillas’).
Our research suggests that the small enterprise needs to be alert to all these options, and
to invest in a way that keeps as many as possible open for as long as possible – in other
words, the small enterprise needs to adopt a strategy of ambiguity by design. Consider iflex, arguably India’s most successful software product company. It was formed as a
spin-off from Citibank, so it relied in its early years on a long-term partnership with its
former parent. But it gradually distanced itself from Citibank as it began selling its
banking software products to competitors, and then built an enduring relationship with
IBM alongside which it engaged in considerable international sales activity, including in
Europe. And it was ultimately acquired by software giant Oracle with which it had had a
long-standing technical association. Whatever the approach taken, the key is for the small
enterprise to dance with the gorillas in a manner that furthers, not diminishes, its cause.
***
19
There are real opportunities for smaller firms to engage meaningfully with MNCs,
especially if they do so proactively and with a view to the long-term evolution of the
relationship. Of course, given the considerable challenge involved, it is conceivable that
some small enterprises will wonder whether such collaborative relationships are really
worth the trouble. Indeed for some, specifically those that are content to focus on
relatively less knowledge-intensive offerings and pick the low-lying fruit, engaging with
MNCs may not be truly beneficial. However for those that have cutting-edge
technologies to offer, spurning the prospect of engaging with MNCs will result in missed
opportunities. There may really be little option for innovative small enterprises with
global ambitions but to learn to dance with the gorillas.
20
Acknowledgements
Financial support from The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, and
encouragement to pursue the research from the UK Advanced Institute of Management
Research (AIM), is gratefully acknowledged.
21
About the Research
This paper draws upon research conducted as part of a five-year investigation,
comprising 70 interviews and a survey that elicited 102 responses, into the
internationalization of small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs). The research focused
on small software enterprises in India (particularly Bangalore) and the United Kingdom
(notably Scotland). Scotland and Bangalore provide informative settings in which to
explore the topic given the concentration of information technology companies – both
indigenous SMEs and MNC subsidiaries – found there. Additionally, they jointly provide
a range of perspectives covering both advanced and emerging economy contexts. 25
interviews were conducted between October 2005 and September 2006 among
individuals associated with SMEs, MNCs, trade bodies and economic development
agencies. Supplementary field interviews were conducted in Bangalore, Glasgow, Lahore
and Tartu, Estonia. Multiple perspectives were elicited in order to explore the prevalence
of, barriers to, and measures to facilitate, SME-MNC linkages. This built on previous
research within our investigation that included a detailed case-study of a Scottish
initiative to foster SME-MNC linkages, a set of case studies conducted in the Bangalore
software industry and a survey of Indian small software enterprises, which were
concerned with the role of social capital in SME internationalization. In particular, the
issues explored included the differential effects of social capital types on SME
internationalization, temporal effects (including decay) of networks and firm-level
capabilities such as proactively leveraging network relationships. For the interested
reader, some findings of the above studies from an academic perspective have been
compiled in: S. Prashantham (2008), The Internationalization of Small Firms: A Strategic
Entrepreneurship Perspective, London: Routledge.
22
Dance Lessons for Gorillas
Although we were looking at joint activity between small enterprises and MNCs from the
perspective of the former, our research indicates some useful lessons for the latter as well
– who also stand to gain immensely from such partnerships.
Reach out. The message of proactive engagement applies equally to MNCs as it does to
small enterprises. This may of course require some mediation given the various
differences between these sets of organizations. In particular, the message that a gorilla
interested in dancing with a small enterprise will have to be transmitted loud and clear
because this could come as a (pleasant) surprise for some. Apart from an MNC’s own
partnering schemes, it may be useful to tap into the networking efforts of regional
associations. Thus many MNC subsidiaries in Scotland have found it useful to participate
in an “open doors” event at a local science park that attracted some 150 young
technology-based
companies
and
featured
one-to-one
meetings
with
senior
representatives from the likes of IBM, Microsoft, Nokia, Oracle and Sun Microsystems to
discuss potential collaboration.
Engage nimbly. MNCs’ global partnering programs do not always do the job, often
because of unique local conditions. These forums may then have to be innovatively
tailored. An example of such an innovation, selected to be showcased at a recent
company conference in Beijing, is seen in the efforts of a Microsoft executive in
Pakistan. Vaqar Khamisani found that while he encountered promising small enterprises
they needed rather more structured guidance than the partnering program allowed for.
With entrepreneurial flair he modified the design of the partnering program into a
sequenced set of activities. Along this “journey” the small enterprise would develop
technical and market capabilities that would ultimately make it far more effective in
leveraging the Microsoft partnership. This approach of adapting innovatively to local
conditions is well worth emulating.
23
Incentivize parterning. Where we found MNC subsidiaries to exhibit proactiveness and
flexibility in reaching out to small enterprises, we generally detected the efforts of a “dogooder” manager with an altruistic interest in aiding the local economy. By contrast, a
number of other MNC managers tend to adopt a myopic perspective in dealing with small
enterprises as clients or partners. In particular, they may be unwilling to help extend a
small enterprise’s dealings with other parts of its global network if they perceive that
resultant benefits will be enjoyed elsewhere in the MNC. It may therefore be worthwhile
introducing incentives so that middle managers, including those in a sales function
(where middle managers often admit that myopia abounds), pass on partnering
possibilities to other subsidiaries or at the very least to boundary-spanning managers
within their own subsidiary.
Commit realistically. To address the concern that small enterprises often have about
MNC subsidiaries lacking sufficient autonomy, it is important to be transparent about
what can be realistically offered. A relatively modest commitment may be reassuring, not
a turn-off, if a more substantial commitment of resources is not warranted due to
constraints from headquarters. We found that MNCs with a track record of working
closely with a range of small enterprises exhibit such realism, generally by adopting a
case-by-case basis in dealing with these various companies. Different “deals” – for
example, transfer of intellectual property in one case and joint sales activity in another –
are struck depending on the specific situation, as well as the subsidiary’s limitations.
Thus neither are blanket promises made nor false illusions created. Such behavior helps
to establish credibility among local small enterprises and increases the odds of entering
into valuable partnerships and engendering a trust-filled climate within which to engage.
24
Table 1. Strategies for Dancing with Gorillas
Stage of
relationship
Traditional
model: MNCs
partnering with
each other
New model:
Strategies for small enterprises
Small enterprises partnering with MNCs
partnering locally
with MNCs
Forming
A direct frontal
approach through
a dedicated
alliance
department or key
individuals who
are direct
counterparts
Given asymmetry
of access and
attention, the
direct approach is
likely to fail; so
use indirect means
of access

Consolidating Well established
processes for
structuring,
governance and
staffing alliances
Given asymmetry
of resources and
long term
objectives, these
processes don’t
apply; so plan for
the short term with
an eye on the long
term

Extending
Given asymmetry
and therefore
dispensability of
small enterprises,
there’s greater
uncertainty vis-àvis MNCs’ own
plans and
priorities; so be
vague by design
with an eye on the
bigger prize

A relatively
predictable pattern
for the further
development of
alliances,
including built-in
contingencies for
instability and
dissolution



Use local allies such as
regional institutions or
partnering programs; “make
your luck” by converting
low-key interactions into
concrete relationships
Use the MNC’s reputational
strength to gain support
through written commitment
and bringing to bear social
sanctions
Capitalize on points of
technology by proactively
demonstrating skills and
creating opportunities
Ensure modular or discrete
knowledge transfer to ensure
tangible outcomes (e.g. a
product prototype) if the
partnership is prematurely
terminated
Proactively build networks
within the MNC and add
value e.g. extending from
technological to commercial
activities, and from local to
international business
Adopt an ambiguous
approach by design; pursue
oblique goals without
showing all cards initially,
and keep options open for as
long as possible
25
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21
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22
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26
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27
The Economist, “Hungry Tiger, Dancing Elephant”, April 7 (2007): 69-71.
27