2009-082 Samen werken aan samenwerking - Lei

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bandry). In the catering and recreation sectors, mainly purchase cooperatives,
marketing organisations (promotional activities) and informal firm networks are
popular. Most transportation firms focus on small firm networks and purchase
cooperatives. Service providers mainly cooperate in informal firm networks. Retailers
prefer purchase cooperatives and franchise organisations.
Critical success factors
The entrepreneurs and advisers listed the following as being critical factors for
successful cooperation:
- Cultural links: cultural differences between partners, mainly concerning trust
and commitment, can lead to misunderstanding and problems;
- A relative dependency through additional or supporting functions and the advantages
that cooperation brings;
- Coordination (Who does what and how?) and motivation (the 'we feeling');
- Competences and skills to cooperate ('entrepreneurship'). Cooperation requires
two types of competences: 1) communication skills and team spirit
(with all partners), and 2) market orientation and leadership (with at least one
partner).
Although cooperating firms realise a higher turnover per employee, they
need to invest in cooperation. Distrust and uncertainty can undermine cooperation.
This can partly be overcome by establishing clear agreements and putting
them down on paper.
Cooperation is not a goal in itself, but a means to improve profitability, entrepreneurship
and/or social quality. A special reason to cooperate is firm transfer
in a situation where there is no successor. In such a case, a partnership with
a successor from outside the family is created instead of the usual family partnership.
When asked whether cooperation is an opportunity or a necessity, most of
the entrepreneurs and advisers selected the first option. When cooperation becomes
necessary in the short term, it is often already too late. Cooperation
usually also requires investments, so that it is not a solution to financial problems.
In the long term, cooperation and/or expansion will be necessary to better
anticipate trends and developments.
After deciding to cooperate, it is crucial to find the right partners. Networking
and clear communication about each other’s wishes, views and facilities are
essential parts of this process. Personal factors can hinder cooperation. The