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Review of Managerial Science

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10-05-2017 | Original Paper

In search for the ideal coopetition partner: an experimental study

Authors: Sascha Kraus, Fabian Meier, Thomas Niemand, Ricarda B. Bouncken, Paavo Ritala

Published in: Review of Managerial Science | Issue 4/2018

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Abstract

Coopetition (collaboration between competitors) has the potential to provide major benefits or losses to participating firms. Entering a partnership with a competitor is a strategic decision with potential long-term consequences rendering the choice of partner of key importance. Existing research has investigated partner’s strategic attributes, but not how the inter-organizational factors between coopetiting firms affect partner selection and on which layers those effects occur. We use a vignette study for reducing this gap, representing the first experimental study on the field of coopetition research. The results from our study from 874 evaluations of potential coopetition partnerships by key informants from Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein and Switzerland offer insights into how the possible partner’s role, resource alignment and the planned activity affect partner selection. The findings suggest that the partner’s role in the markets—i.e. whether it is a direct or an indirect competitor—is critical in partner selection. The planned activity and resource configuration is also found to influence the evaluation of possible coopetition partners. Overall, the results of this first experimental study in coopetition research provide important implications to both theory and practice.

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Title: In search for the ideal coopetition partner: an experimental study
Authors: Sascha Kraus
Fabian Meier
Thomas Niemand
Ricarda B. Bouncken
Paavo Ritala
Publication date: 10-05-2017
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: Review of Managerial Science / Issue 4/2018
Print ISSN: 1863-6683
Electronic ISSN: 1863-6691
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11846-017-0237-0

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