The Thesis Talks

The central topic of this master’s thesis is the simultaneous pursuit of competition and co- operation, coined into one term; “co-opetition”. This phenomenon has received increased attention by scholars and practitioners in the past two decades since it adapts to today’s fast- changing business environment and enables mutual benefits for rival companies. This paper addresses the lack of literature regarding the interplay between co-opetition and specific innovation types. A co-opetitive relationship can drive businesses towards new opportunities to achieve innovation outcomes that they cannot accomplish alone. Special attention is paid to the exploration of critical soft factors behind the successful outcome of co-opetition between rival firms innovating together, and a comparison of those factors between product- and service-oriented companies. This study confirmed predicted critical success factors, Trust and Commitment, of well-working co-opetitive relationships. Furthermore, this thesis identified additional critical success factors including both common, namely Alignment and Openness, and differing determinants between product innovation, particularly Understanding, and service innovation, including Time and Size Balance. Lastly, findings revealed the tendency of companies to participate in ecosystems that enhance the emergence and pursuit of co-opetition.