Several determinants of successful coopetition in small business

Abstract

The present study draws upon several perspectives within the literature in strategy and organizational behavior to inform our predictive model of successful coopetition at the individual, firm, dyadic and triadic relationship levels in small businesses. We propose that several socially complex, relational, and resource-based determinants predict successful coopetition (trust, commitment, mutual benefit). We further present the policies, procedures and feed-forward control systems developed by a consultant who facilitated a successful coopetitive relationship among several competitors in the fragmented casual furniture industry. Understanding determinants of successful coopetition is useful to those seeking a sustainable competitive advantage and the enhancement of firm performance.

La présente étude s'appuie sur plusieurs perspectives présentes dans la littérature en matière de stratégie et de comportement organisationnel pour documenter notre modèle prédictif d'une coopétition réussie au niveau des relations individuelles, d'entreprise, dyadiques et triadiques dans les petites entreprises. Nous proposons que plusieurs déterminants socialement complexes, relationnels, et basés sur les ressources prédisent une coopétition réussie (confiance, engagement, avantage mutuel). Nous présentons en outre les politiques, les procédures et les systèmes de commande prédictifs élaborés par un consultant qui a facilité des relations coopétitives réussies entre plusieurs concurrents dans l'industrie fragmentée des meubles de patio et de jardin. Comprendre les déterminants d'une coopétition réussie est utile à ceux qui recherchent un avantage concurrentiel durable et l'amélioration des performances de leur entreprise.

Keywords:

• coopetition
• trust
• commitment
• mutual benefit
• small business, entrepreneurial firms

Mots clés:

• coopétition
• confiance
• engagement
• avantage mutuel
• petites entreprises
• entreprises entrepreneuriales

Acknowledgements

This research was partially funded through a Dana Grant to the first two authors from the University of Tampa.

Notes

1 Our model focuses on successful coopetition between small businesses, necessarily excluding coopetition between a small and large business due to potentially substantial differences in each type of firm's motivations, resources, power, and control. The latter type of relationship, though interesting and certainly worthy of theoretical and empirical development, involves an additional set of contextual factors beyond the scope of the present study.