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In this chapter, we empirically investigate an important question of “how does knowledge sharing and knowledge leakage impact the alliance performance in dyadic coopetitive alliance settings that involve small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).” Taking the perspective of the focal SME to address this question, we posit that while knowledge sharing positively associates with alliance performance, inadvertent knowledge leakage is negatively related to performance. We further postulate that under the conditions of high knowledge leakage, the positive impacts of knowledge sharing on performance would be reduced. Our structural model results based on a survey of 186 SMEs in the high-tech and knowledge-intensive industries in Sweden show support for two of the hypothesized relationships. More specifically, the results show that knowledge sharing has a positive effect on alliance performance but knowledge leakage has an insignificant direct effect on performance. However, knowledge leakage plays a negative moderating role on the relationship between knowledge sharing and performance. We contribute by demonstrating the effects of knowledge sharing and leakage in under-researched but important dyadic one-to-one coopetitive alliances involving SMEs.

Coopetition (simultaneous cooperation and competition of actors) is still a relatively new concept in business, management, and tourism. However, several coopetition studies have focused on tourism and tourism destinations. Also, compilation literature reviews of tourism and tourism destinations have been published (Rusko, 2018). This chapter focuses on underlying coopetition networks of tourism and specifically of tourism destinations. Because of the typical features of tourism destinations, multifaceted connections in competition and cooperation – and coopetition – are present in everyday business and activities among actors of the destination. These coopetitive relationships cover several levels, they are present in micro, meso, macro, and meta level interplay of tourism destination. Furthermore, the analysis shows that several studies about coopetitive networks in tourism destinations do not use terms “macro” or “meta” though these seem to be the main levels of the studies. This only reveals the fertile dimensions of coopetitive networks in tourism. These various relationships form coopetitive networks that represent several dimensions and levels of actors, competition, cooperation, and coopetition. This chapter introduces these multifaceted perspectives of coopetition networks, which have been described in the contemporary literature about tourism and tourism destination.

Innovativeness is crucial for industrial cluster firms to gain sustained competitive advantage. This study aims to investigate the effects of inter-firm coopetition on firm innovativeness within a cluster and examines the moderating role of institutional support.

This research adopts an empirical survey method using multi-source data from 181 industrial cluster firms. Regression is used to test the hypotheses of this study.

The results show that cooperation and constructive conflict promote firm innovativeness, while destructive conflict is detrimental to firm innovativeness. Moreover, the study also finds that cooperation interacts with both types of conflict to affect firm innovativeness, where cooperation and constructive conflict interact negatively on firm innovativeness, while cooperation and destructive conflict interact positively on firm innovativeness. In addition, institutional support weakens the effects of cooperation and destructive conflict on innovativeness, respectively, but has no significant moderating effect on the relationship between constructive conflict and innovativeness.

These findings enrich the current research on coopetition. The interaction effects of cooperation and both types of conflict on innovativeness deepen the concept of coopetition and responds to the call to further explore the interaction effects within coopetition. The moderating role of institutional support fills a gap in the empirical research on the role of institutional factors affecting coopetition on innovation and also provides valuable suggestions for firm managers and governments in industrial clusters.

This chapter focuses on the coopetition features of tourism and specifically of tourism destinations. Because of the typical features of tourism destinations, coopetition might be a particularly important theme in the literature on tourism. However, the number of tourism studies that have focused on, or at least mentioned, coopetition is surprisingly small. Regarding tourism destinations, co-location causes different forms of coopetition situations, which are not very common in geographically diffused industries. Furthermore, the basic idea of one joint tourism product, such as the experiences of a tourist in a tourism destination, forces the (competing) suppliers of services in the resort to cooperate. Co-location causes a situation in which the competing firms in the area have joint branding and marketing activities. Destination marketing organisations are an important form of coopetition activities in tourism. In addition to co-location, seasonality is one of the specific features of coopetition in tourism destinations. This study combines the outcomes of several publications and other empirical materials about coopetition in tourism.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze important theoretical work conducted in the research streams of coopetition dynamics and knowledge flows in the area of start-up entrepreneurship. The authors see in practice that venture capital (VC) firms are a highly essential component of the environment that gives birth to entrepreneurial ventures, helping them to grow profoundly. Interorganizational collaborations facilitate VC firms to be a beneficial partner because except for providing funding, they also possess knowledge-based resources to support the new business.

A systematic review of the literature was conducted, using relevant keywords and academic databases. Then, the backward search was implemented to examine the references of the selected papers, and finally, the forward search to explore the citations of the selected papers. After the selection of papers, they were classified according to their content. A thorough search of the extant literature was done in Scopus and Google Scholar using a combination of keywords such as coopetition, knowledge flows, VC firms, interorganizational and inter-firm knowledge dynamics.

This paper highlights the capability of venture capitalists and provides insights as to how knowledge transfer and sharing between VC firms affect new venture’s growth and prosperity.

This paper attempts to provide new perspectives and explore the significance of interorganizational coopetition and knowledge transfer and sharing between VC firms when they take part in the support and development of new ventures (e.g. start-ups). A theoretical model is proposed via the coopetition dynamics and inter-firm knowledge flows in the VC sector framework.

This paper adds to the existing theoretical knowledge and underlines the topic of interorganizational coopetition and knowledge flows between VC firms. This is the first attempt, on the one hand, to link inter-firm knowledge flows and new venture development, while on the other to examine the dynamics between VC firms and the collective contribution for the growth of start-ups.

This paper aims to investigate how the implementation of the inter-cooperation principle among Spanish machine-tool cooperatives helps them to coopete–collaborate with competitors, in their innovation and internationalization processes and achieve collaborative advantages.

The paper uses a multi-case approach based on interviews with 15 CEOs and research and development (R&D) managers, representing 14 Spanish machine tool firms and institutions. Eight of these organizations are worker-cooperatives.

Worker-cooperatives achieve advantages on innovation and internationalization via inter-cooperation (shared R&D units, joint sales offices, joint after-sale services, knowledge exchange and relocation of key R&D technicians and managers). Several mutual bonds and ties among cooperatives help to overcome the risk of opportunistic behaviour and knowledge leakage associated to coopetition. The obtained results give some clues explaining to what extent and under which conditions coopetitive strategies of cooperatives are transferable to other types of ownership arrangements across sectors.

Firms seeking cooperation with competitors in their R&D and internationalization processes can learn from the coopetitive arrangements analyzed in the paper.

Findings can be valuable for sectoral associations and public bodies trying to promote coopetition and alliances between competitors as a means to benefit from collaborative advantages.

Focussing on an “ideal type” of co-operation–cooperative organizations – and having access to primary sources, the paper shows to what extent (and how) strong coopetitive structures and processes foster innovation and internationalization.

This paper aims to investigate the effects of formal institution agents on export performance, mediated by coopetition. It presents novel scales for evaluating firms’ adherence to cooperation agreements with competitors, identifying coopetition networks’ main motives and goals. The study also focuses on the relationship between the export performance of small and medium enterprises from emerging markets and coopetition strategies.

The study adopts a quantitative methodology using multivariate and confirmatory methods. The sample comprised 166 firms from three different industries in an emerging market (Brazil).

The results indicate that adherence to formal institution agents promotes cooperation among competitors and that such coopetition tends to improve export performance. The role played by formal institution agents minimizes the paradoxical tension and fosters coopetitive performance. Firms in developing markets look to mediated coopetition to achieve coopetitive advantages. They cooperate to create collective advantages from shared resources, but they do not lose sight of the ultimate objective of appropriating these advantages. The cycle of creation and appropriation of advantages is fostered by the formal institution agent, acting as the conductor of an orchestra, coordinating movements and setting the rhythm for the partners. The institutional agent, thus, constitutes an important hub of the coopetition network.

The paper contributes to understanding a type of coopetition that has hitherto been underexplored in the literature – mediated coopetition.

From social network theory, this study aims to understand how trust is built in a coopetition relationship.

A case study of a qualitative nature was carried out using several semi-structured interviews with managers of two Brazilian firms involved in a dyadic coopetition relationship.

Based on the empirical evidence, five categories/themes resulted for understanding trust-building mechanisms: mutual dependence, previous experience and reputation, awareness of the risks of opportunistic behaviour, contractual agreement and dynamic process. The juridical sphere, contractual agreement, was the only one identified in the study where firm representatives presented discordant positions, referring specifically to contractual relations of the terms of the agreement.

The results of this study provide some suggestions for managers. First, before beginning interaction in a coopetition relationship, it is necessary to assess whether the coopetition relation meets the required conditions for interaction to take place. Second, the results suggest that firms should make provision against members of both organizations making the relationship vulnerable to acts of opportunism.

This case study is innovative because it reveals manifestations that could help to enhance knowledge of how organizations build trust in dyadic coopetition relationships.

The purpose of this study is to elaborate on the management, sources, levels of strength and dynamics of inherent tension in coopetition between small- and medium-sized firms (SMEs).

An embedded single-case design is applied in the study. Two manufacturing SMEs in coopetition are studied. The units of analysis are their past dyadic coopetition with other competitors, their present coopetition with each other and their view of possible dyadic coopetition with other partners in the future.

This study addresses the call for more research on coopetition and tension dynamics. It gives longitudinal insight into the changes of a coopetitive relationship through the evolution of tension inherently present in the relationship. Furthermore, the results show that a partial separation of the cooperative and competitive dimensions enables entrepreneurs’ integration of a contradictory logic. The successful management of tension also relies on mechanisms for mutual value appropriation, which eventually enhances the ability to embrace contradictions.

This study contributes to the limited knowledge on tension management by showing how partners in coopetition apply different tension management principles or combinations of principles due to how the tension in the relationship evolves. Furthermore, on a practical level, it introduces a mapping or configuration scheme to identify the sources and levels of strength of inherent tension, enhancing coopetition partners’ ability to monitor their relationship over time.

This paper aims to explore small firm perceptions of coopetition, focusing on coopetitive tension, balance and value appropriation realised in dyadic relationships, not considered holistically in previous research.

The authors use seven cases of small firms as the empirical foundation of this study and analysed data thematically.

The findings show that precursors to coopetitive tension in dyads influence friction in these relationships, as firms seek to achieve balance. Balance is dynamic as firms continuously appraise their positions to determine the benefits realised from coopetition. The extent to which firms act cooperatively or competitively is influenced by their perception of fair value appropriation for sustained coopetitive relationships.

Because of the research design findings are not generalisable but provide insight into small firm coopetitive relational dynamics. Future research should explore how industry differences influence firms’ perceived precursors to coopetitive tension and value appropriation based on boundary conditions.

Small firms can proactively address coopetitive tension by developing relationships with potential partner firms through trialling smaller projects and increasing awareness of how their competitive or cooperative behaviours might influence the actions of their counterpart.

This study advances a theoretical framework integrating coopetitive tension, balance and value appropriation, as opposed to earlier fragmented approaches. The framework reveals that precursors to coopetitive tension are continuously appraised as firms act in cooperative or competitive ways. These interactions imply that firms will take a position of balance that provides complementary benefits.