1. Partnerships help companies leverage expansion plans. They can be informal arrangements or include joint ventures, strategic alliances, and cross-holdings of company stock. Partnering helps a company to share the risk of loss, which is especially important in emerging markets. If partners own shares (equity) in local operations, they get cuts of the profits; if they loan cash (debt), they receive interest. Local partners who can help keep political forces from interrupting operations include firms, trade unions, financial institutions, and government agencies.