On the Job by Anita Bruzzese How to Ensure Collaborations Thrive

On the Job by Anita Bruzzese How to Ensure Collaborations Thrive Innovation and business strategy experts are urging more companies to collaborate with outside partners to stay competitive, but research shows the risk can be great if the contribution level isnt carefully considered. While companies like Apple can thank outside collaborative partners for products such as the hugely successful iPhone, there are unfortunately manycollaborative efforts that have failed. One of the most publicized wasBoeings 787 Dreamliner aircraft that was grounded in 2013 because of several problems, including battery failures that caused fires. Some experts say Boeings Dreamliner teething problems stemmed from mismanaged relationships with its outsourcing partners, saysJason P. Davis, INSEAD Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship and FamilyEnterprise. A recent studypublishedin the Journal of Operations Management looked at project and senior managers who were in charge of 147 initiatives that relied significantly on the contributions of external partners in various industries. These projects averaged about eight months with budgets around $3 million. In addition, they operated with about 60 employees, which included both external and internal workers. Researchers report that after collecting information onhow the partnerships impacted market successand the revenue generated by the products, they found that outcomes can vary widely in such collaborations. Specifically, results ranged from a 50% plunge in income to a 90% boost. The key to success or the recipe for failure depends on how partners are expected to contribute, researchers say. If there wasvery littleorvery highparticipation by partners, then the projects didnt do as well. But those with a more balanced approach saw significant benefits, researchers say. Further, the outcomes were better if partners were given specific jobs that let them intensify their contributions in certain areas, rather than trying to spread them more thinly throughout the process, the study says. Davis of INSEAD, says that based on his extensive research of computer firms, the secret toensuring outside collaborations thriveis to rotate leadership back and forth between the partners. However, those collaborations can come with even more challenges when there are three companies involved, bringing an exponential increase in potential headaches, he says. After studying such a real-world scenario, Davis says that hes determined that two(read more here)