Cisco's corporate development portfolio: a blend of building, borrowing and buying

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to present a case study of Cisco's corporate development approach which shows how the company built a powerful new business capability: the discipline of selecting the best pathways – build, borrow or buy – to follow when pursuing growth opportunities.

Design/methodology/approach

In order for companies to achieve viable growth, business leaders must evaluate all three alternative pathways, which this paper looks into.

Findings

The paper revelas that Cisco provides an excellent example of a company that has, over the years, learned how to develop the capability to use the full range of development modes.

Research limitations/implications

This case is based on research for Build, Borrow or Buy: Solving the Growth Dilemma by Laurence Capron and Will Mitchell.

Practical implications

In the way it blends all of the growth modes, Cisco demonstrates the value of top‐level leadership for what should be seen as an enterprise discipline: strategically coordinated building, borrowing and buying.

Originality/value

The case illustrates how Cisco has learned to blend these development initiatives into a balanced and very effective resource portfolio.

Citation

Capron, L. (2013), "Cisco's corporate development portfolio: a blend of building, borrowing and buying", Strategy & Leadership, Vol. 41 No. 2, pp. 27-30. https://doi.org/10.1108/10878571311318213