Coopetition as a Potential Strategy for Corporate Sustainability

Abstract

The paper is among the first to consider coopetition strategy in the context of corporate level sustainability. Through examination of literature and an example of an actual coopetitive agreement in wine industry logistics, consideration is given to the potential benefits of and problems with sustainability‐based coopetition strategies. The research, based on publicly available information, leads to suggestions for future study into specific theoretical, methodological and pragmatic aspects of sustainability‐related coopetition strategies. At a theoretical level, research into the dynamics of coopetition strategies and relationships between win–win and trade‐offs within economic, environmental and social performance settings is suggested. As the field of study continues to emerge, a broader set of exploratory case studies involving collaborative engagement and participation of practitioners is needed. Attention is also drawn to a broad range of settings available for further research into the design and implementation of sustainability‐related coopetitive strategies exploring advantages for corporations and society. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment

Coopetition for sustainability: Between organizational benefit and societal good

“…Here, environmental interests of stakeholders (both firm‐specific and firm‐spanning) clash with economic interests, again both firm‐specific and firm‐spanning. Christ et al () provide a practical example of coopetition in the Australian wine industry where an environmentally beneficial coopetition was terminated as it seemed to jeopardize profitability. Expressed in the terminology used here, the environmental benefits of coopetition on the macrolevel did not compensate sufficiently to the decline of economic outcomes.…”

“…Rather than conceptualizing systematically what sustainability outcomes could mean, these studies show that coopetition can be favorable for some specific aspects that relate to sustainability like logistics (Limoubpratum et al, ), green product innovation (Melander, ), procurement (Meehan & Bryde, ), or recycling (Volschenk et al, ). Christ et al () explore for example a coopetitive agreement in the Australian wine industry that reduced usage of fossil fuels and refrigeration by jointly outsourcing bottling and packaging. In another example, Planko et al () identify main enablers of coopetition in the Dutch smart grids sector when competitors collaborate in developing innovative technologies that support sustainable development.…”

“…Furthermore, recently, scholars have also suggested that coopetition can be a way to obtain positive sustainability outcomes (Limoubpratum, Shee, & Ahsan, ; Stadtler, ). Although there are a few studies on coopetition for sustainability (Christ, Burritt, & Varsei, ; Limoubpratum et al, ; Peloza & Falkenberg, ; Stadtler, ; Volschenk, Ungerer, & Smit, ), it has still not been systematically addressed, and it remains unclear what constitutes coopetition for sustainability and what its outcomes are. We argue that coopetition for sustainability is different from other forms of coopetition as the sustainability outcome is determined on the macrolevel but influenced by the behavior of individual firms on the microlevel.…”

The Impact of Flipped Learning on Cooperative and Competitive Mindsets

“…Coopetition, a compound term of cooperation and competition, even appears in many contemporary industries [23,64,65]. The revolutionary mindset of cooperative competition starts with the recognition of sustainability-based strategies that most of one's own success can depend on the success of others [65,66].…”

Evaluating environmental sustainability strategies in freight transport and logistics industry

“…Nowadays, there is an increasing research trend on the topic of sustainability in both manufacturing and service industry (Carter & Easton, ; Christ, Burritt, & Varsei, ; Fahimnia, Tang, Davarzani, & Sarkis, ; Frias‐Aceituno, Rodríguez‐Ariza, & Garcia‐Sánchez, ; Klumpp & Zijm, ; Sahamie, Stindt, & Nuss, ; Seuring & Müller, ; Vachon & Klassen, ; Venus Lun, Lai, Wong, & Cheng, ) due to the growing number of environmental requirements established by the climate change agreements (Kyoto Protocol, ; Copenhagen Accord, ; Summary of the Doha Climate Change Conference, ; Paris Agreement, ). This growing body of literature investigates mainly the green initiatives adopted by companies operating in manufacturing industries (Dao, Langella, & Carbo, ; Gerstlberger, Præst Knudsen, & Stampe, ; Park, Sarkis, & Wu, ; Ranganathan, Teo, & Dhaliwal, ; Wang, Chen, & Benitez‐Amado, ; Whinkler, ), whereas in the field of freight transport and logistics industry, there is not yet a structured framework (Davarzani, Fahimnia, Bell, & Sarkis, ; Centobelli, Cerchione, & Esposito, , ; Lin & Ho, ; Oberhofer & Dieplinger, ).…”