Ed “Skip” McLaughlin and Wyn Lydecker, Authors, The Purpose Is Profit: The Truth About Starting and Building Your Own Business

Most entrepreneurial companies thrive on innovation, creativity, and speed as key ingredients for driving success. Entrepreneurs are willing to take risks to increase the probability of breakthrough achievement at the cost of possible failure. In many respects, these attributes get into the bloodstream of high-growth companies and define their behavior. On the other hand, big corporations emphasize strategy, structure, and process—institutionalizing corporate behavior patterns. They use chain-of-command management and consensus decision-making to reduce risk at the cost of timely action. Since the operating styles of an entrepreneurial company are so different from that of a large corporation, a marriage can be difficult.