Title: Governance models of coopetition and innovation: the case of Spanish firms

Authors: Domingo Enrique Ribeiro-Soriano; Norat Roig-Tierno; Alicia Mas-Tur

Addresses: Departamento de Dirección de Empresas e IUDESCOOPEmprendimiento, Facultad de Economía, Universitat de València, Avda. dels Tarongers s/n, 46022, Valencia, Spain ' ESIC Business School, Avda. Blasco Ibáñez, 55, 46021, Valencia, Spain; VIU Entrepreneurship Department, Carrer de Gorgos, 46021, Valencia, Spain ' Departamento de Dirección de Empresas, Universitat de València, Avenida Tarongers, S/N, 46022, Valencia, Spain

Abstract: Although numerous studies show that cooperation relates strongly to obtaining benefits in business innovation, few researchers have considered the role of competition in this relationship. Nevertheless, it is expected that firms can boost their innovation if they cooperate with competitors and with intermediaries. The aim of this study was to observe whether coopeting firms achieve high degrees of innovation. To accomplish this aim, we used a sample of innovative firms from the region of Valencia (Spain). The chosen region has specific structural characteristics, which are discussed later. Although the sampled firms compete with one another, they also collaborate with each other and with intermediaries (i.e., technology centres and local universities). Fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) tested propositions established in the conceptual framework. Results show that when competing firms collaborate (i.e., when they 'coopete'), they are able to increase their degree of innovation.

Keywords: coopetition; collaboration; competition; cooperation; degree of innovation; industrial regions; fuzzy sets; fuzzy QCA; qualitative comparative analysis; governance models; Spain; Valencia.

DOI: 10.1504/IJTM.2016.077977

International Journal of Technology Management, 2016 Vol.71 No.1/2, pp.38 - 57

Received: 12 Dec 2014
Accepted: 31 Oct 2015
Published online: 30 Jul 2016 *

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