Coopetition in Yin-Yang and Dialectic Perspectives

Abstract

In pursuing economic goals, firms involve in coopetition. Coopetition is an advanced relationship for firms to play dual roles as cooperators and competitors for common development. This paper considers that the essence of coopetition is a pursuit of common value creation and private value appropriation, with the inevitable coopetitive contradiction. How to maximize the common and private benefits of each coopetitive firm at the same time is the core concern of both academics and practitioners in the coopetition field. The goal of this paper, therefore, is to offer a renewed understanding of inter-firm coopetition based on the paradox theory, distinguishing the paradox of coopetition under two different perspectives—Yin-Yang and dialectic with East and West culture backgrounds. Building the two dynamic models of Yin-Yang and dialectic perspectives, the paper provides a new way for future research and business practices to deal with inter-firm coopetition.