Special Issue: The Interplay of Competition and Cooperation

Research streams on competition and cooperation are cen-
tral to the field of strategic management but have evolved
independently. The emerging literature on coopetition has
brought attention to the phenomenon of simultaneous
competition and cooperation, yet the interplay between
the two has remained under-researched. We offer a road-
map for studying this interplay, which identifies some of
its antecedents and consequences, highlights debates con-
cerning the nature of competition and cooperation and the
association between the two, and directs attention to the
tension between competition and cooperation and the
alternative approaches for managing this tension. We dis-
cuss the broader implications of the interplay, note some
intriguing open questions, offer directions for future
research, and present an organizing framework for the
interplay of competition and cooperation.