成功管理战略联盟的另一种方法是在竞争之前认识到机会。批评者指出，苹果没有足够早地意识到与微软建立战略联盟的重要性。因此，如果苹果在其Mac OS操作系统首次问世时就获得了许可，那么Windows可能就不会那么成功了。这表明，如果在正确的时间得到认可并得到正确的管理，战略联盟可以构成巨大的竞争优势。
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International businesses often face make-or-buy decisions about whether they should perform a certain activity in-house or outsource elsewhere. Companies usually internalise core competence activities in order to protect proprietary product technology, accumulate dynamic capabilities and improve scheduling. On the other hand, activities seen as peripheral to core competence are usually externalised with the aim of lowering cost and achieving strategic flexibility (Parmigiani, 2007).
国际企业经常面临是否应该在内部开展某项活动或将其外包给其他地方的决策。公司通常将核心竞争力活动内部化，以保护专有产品技术，积累动态能力并改进计划。另一方面，被视为核心竞争力外围的活动通常是外部化的，目的是降低成本和实现战略灵活性。
As outlined earlier in this essay, Apple Inc. perceives designing and developing its products as the company’s core competence, hence these activities are internalised to avoid opportunism from competing companies. Acquisition of businesses can also help protecting and expanding core competencies of the company. Apple acquires smaller businesses in order to gain skills and intellectual property to work on new projects (Tim Cook, 2013), for instance: in recent years, the company acquired Siri (a voice-recognition system) as well as a series of mapping start-ups that shaped the basis of Apple Maps (Apple.com, 2014). In contrast, critics debate if Apple should become more acquisitive as they are moving from traditional personal computers to smart phones and mobile computing, where competition is much tougher (Forbes, 2014).
如本文前面所述，股份有限公司将设计和开发其产品视为公司的核心竞争力，因此这些活动被内部化，以避免竞争公司的机会主义。收购企业也有助于保护和扩大公司的核心竞争力。例如，苹果收购较小的企业是为了获得从事新项目的技能和知识产权。近年来，该公司收购了Siri（一种语音识别系统）以及一系列塑造苹果地图基础的地图初创企业。相比之下，随着苹果从传统的个人电脑转向竞争更加激烈的智能手机和移动计算，批评者们争论苹果是否应该变得更具收购欲。
When balancing between internalisation and externalisation, companies have to consider transaction cost analysis of boundary decisions, including the most efficient way of governing it. Internalised design and development of Apple products demonstrates the company’s hierarchical approach to transaction cost analysis of boundary decisions, where costs are high as activities are performed in-house, however: threat of opportunism is kept at its minimum (Hill, 2014).
当在内部化和外部化之间取得平衡时，公司必须考虑边界决策的交易成本分析，包括最有效的管理方式。苹果产品的内部化设计和开发表明了公司对边界决策交易成本分析的分层方法，然而，由于活动在内部进行，成本很高：机会主义的威胁被保持在最低限度。
On the other side of the spectrum, activities such as manufacturing are externalised and performed by other companies such as Foxconn Technology Group, located in China (Apple, 2014). This is also an example of intermediate governance as both firms benefit from the manufacturing contract. Offering a relatively high-skilled, low-priced labour force as well as a good business infrastructure and a stable economy, China is an ideal location for manufacturing Apple’s products (The Economist, 2014). Furthermore most of the products needed for manufacturing are made in China thus lowering the cost of production (Forbes, 2014).
另一方面，制造等活动是外部化的，由位于中国的富士康科技集团等其他公司执行。这也是中间治理的一个例子，因为两家公司都从制造合同中受益。中国拥有相对高技能、低价格的劳动力、良好的商业基础设施和稳定的经济，是制造苹果产品的理想地点。此外，制造业所需的大多数产品都是中国制造的，从而降低了生产成本。
As outlined above, the more complex the governance mechanism, the more effective it will be in reducing the threat of opportunism. On the other hand, market governance – although relatively cheap, will allow competing companies to act opportunistically (Barney, 1999). Bearing in mind the transaction cost economies; Apple balances between internalisation and externalisation efficiently, thus creating a competitive advantage.
如上所述，治理机制越复杂，在减少机会主义威胁方面就越有效。另一方面，
