Cooperation with Competitors? Exploring Managers’ Interpretations of Coopetitive Practices

Abstract

A growing body of research has recognized the importance of coopetitive interorganizational relationships, i.e., relationships among firms that simultaneously involve competition and cooperation. However, little is known about how managers interpret these coopetitive relations in their day-to-day experiences. To shed light on this phenomenon, in this study we adopted a grounded theory approach and interviewed managers of firms and representatives of key stakeholders in the seafood processing industry of a Southern US state. Our findings shed light on what managers interpret to be the key factors shaping their firms’ practices of coopetitive relations as well as how they experience and cope with the tensions between competition and cooperation implicit in these relations. We conclude by discussing our study’s contributions to the literature and its implications for future research.