Coopetitive strategies in the ICT sector: typology and stability

Abstract

The paradoxical nature of coopetition is determined by a combination of collaboration and competition. Coopetition is a relational mode frequently applied by information and communications technologty (ICT) firms. Using a qualitative approach, this study investigates the evolution of inter-firms coopetitive agreements in the enterprise resource planning (ERP) industry, and on the basis of this data, attempts to discuss coopetition typology and stability in this specific market context. The findings indicate the existence of two main types of coopetitive agreements, coopetitive projects with (i) vertical or (ii) horizontal cooperation between the competing partners. These two coopetition types have different characteristics in terms of purpose, dynamics and stability, presenting a specific balance between competitive tensions and collaboration benefits. The study concludes with a summary of the main findings and with practical propositions directed towards alliance managers.

Analyzing the Coopetition between Tourism and Leisure Suppliers—A Case Study of the Leisure Card Tirol

“…At the same time, the LCT alliance seems to be a form of cooperation-dominant coopetition [14]. In summary, our results confirm the statement of Pellegrin-Boucher, Le Roy, and Gurau [88] who argue that coopetitive strategies should be considered as both, a source of additional risk and a source of possibly enhanced performance.…”

Coopetition for sustainability: Between organizational benefit and societal good

“…At the same time, coopetition can not only support innovation and knowledge sharing but can also be an obstacle to innovation and give rise to detrimental knowledge leakage (Liu, Luo, Yang, & Maksimov, ). Furthermore, there is a risk of free‐riding and imitation (Ritala & Hurmelinna‐Laukkanen, ) and opportunistic hazards (Pellegrin‐Boucher, Le Roy, & Gurău, ). The managerial complexity involved can also increase the costs of coordination and costs to control tensions and resolve conflicts (Bouncken, Gast, Kraus, & Bogers, ).…”

Finding partners for complex system innovations through a trans-sectoral ‘matchmaking platform’

“…Coopetition describes the phenomenon of simultaneous cooperation and competition among firms (e.g. Gnyawali, Jinyu, and Madhavan 2006;Yami et al 2010;Pellegrin-Boucher, Le Roy, and Gurȃu 2013;Ritala and Sainio 2014). Especially in technologically turbulent or complex fields, such as the development of alternative automotive fuels, established firms are well advised to concentrate their common domain knowledge (Gnyawali and Park 2011;Hung and Chang 2012;Park, Srivastava, and Gnyawali 2014).…”