Obsession with working in giant corporate or MNC (Part I)

Quite recently, I had a chance to fix a potential deal with a close friend of mine. This (uncle) guy has been working for a Multinational Company (MNC) and is holding one of the top marketing/management position in Malaysia (perhaps even in Asia Pacific) in the company. Needless to say, he tends to wax lyrical about his company products...always boasting things like..

• We are the first in the world to do this...
• Our products are top notch...
• We are in the highly critical sectors (like defence and radar)

blah blah blah...

Well, I cannot deny those products are of excellent quality and standard...but whenever we touch on the local industry (or R&D) trying to emulate or even innovate, the standard replies from him will be

• Local products are lousy
• Why reinvent the wheel....just import from other countries lahhh

I can understand his point of view...which usually boils down to mainly these 3

• Yup, perhaps such technology are already matured, so why re-invent
• Starting from scratch or even mimicking a technology requires many iterations and is time consuming
• And lastly..perhaps this is the deal breaker...he wont get any commission (esp if products from his company).

But you have to ask yourself, for any industry, there will always be spin offs or jobs created...

Can you ask the local researchers to just be an importer? The local manufacturers? Local software developers? Local engineers??

Even when I mentioned this to him...he adamantly said the best way is just get the technology in...and just use as it is.

Well to cut things short...I asked him to help me market certain products that I am going to collaborate with a local R&D entity...but the response I got from him was very disappointing...and more importantly it really made me sad.

The tone of the response border on arrogance and slight contempt