Coopetition: An Introduction to the Subject and an Agenda for Research

The traditional view of inter-firm dynamics suggests that relationships are either competitive or cooperative in nature. However, it is apparent that in practice, firms can compete and cooperate with each other at the same time. The term used to refer to a relationship between two firms that simultaneously involves both competition and cooperation is "coopetition." Although there is evidence to suggest that organizations have been involved in coopetitive relationships for some considerable time, it is only relatively recently that the subject has found increased favor in the academic literature. It would appear, however, that the literature concerning coopetition is still limited in scope, and in order to address the issue, this paper presents an agenda for researchers interested in the subject of coopetition. The agenda is generated by reconciling a review of the literature on coopetition with a similar review of the literature relating to competition and cooperation. The agenda also incorporates two innovative ideas based on anecdotal evidence and personal observations.