Unpacking the relationship between a coopetition-oriented mindset and coopetition-oriented behaviours

Purpose – Earlier work has suggested that assumptions, values, and beliefs about the importance of cooperating with competitors (a coopetition-oriented mind-set) should manifest into behavioural forms of coopetition, such as resource and capability-sharing activities. Yet, limited research surrounds the complexities of this link. Thus, guided by resource-based theory and the relational view, this current paper unpacks the relationship between a coopetition-oriented mind-set and coopetition-oriented behaviours

under the moderating roles of industry experience and degree of internationalisation.

Design/methodology/approach – The chosen empirical context was the Canadian wine industry, since wine producers are often involved in coopetition strategies and have varying degrees of

internationalisation. Preliminary interview data were collected from 18 managers to shape the operationalisations. Then, survey data were collected from 195 Canadian wine producers. After checking

the statistical data for all major assessments of reliability and validity (together with common method variance), the hypothesised and control paths were tested through hierarchical regression.

Findings – A coopetition-oriented mind-set had a positive and significant association with coopetitionoriented behaviours. Surprisingly, this link was negatively moderated by industry experience. Additionally, degree of internationalisation yielded a positive moderation effect. These moderators highlight situations

where a coopetition-oriented mind-set is (and is not) likely to manifest into coopetition activities.

Practical implications – If firms aim to engage in behavioural forms of coopetition, they should manage assumptions, values, and beliefs associated with the advantages of collaborating with their competitors. Industry experience can limit the extent to which business’ coopetition-oriented mind-sets manifest into

coopetition-oriented behaviours. This could be explained by decision-makers possessing information that discourages them from working with certain (untrustworthy) rivals because of the potential harmful effects on their performance. Companies should utilise their industry experience to avoid working with rival entities that will create negative outcomes, like tensions (e.g., conflict, power imbalances, and opportunistic behaviours), lost intellectual property, and diluted competitive advantages. Nonetheless,

industry experience might signify that there are more risks than rewards linked with these business-tobusiness marketing strategies. Higher-levels of internationalisation can help firms to recognise that coopetition-oriented behaviours may lead to performance-enhancing opportunities in their overseas

markets.

Originality/value – This investigation contributes to the business-to-business marketing literature with new evidence on how organisations can foster a coopetition-oriented mind-set to engage in coopetition strategies. The negative moderation effect from industry experience highlights that knowledge of

competitors’ activities can limit the extent to which coopetition-oriented behaviours are implemented. Moreover, the positive interaction effect from degree of internationalisation extends the growing body of knowledge pertaining to coopetition in an international arena. Collectively, these results show that while

a coopetition-oriented mind-set is a critical driver of coopetition-oriented behaviours, there are certain contingencies that can strengthen or weaken this association. Lastly, by integrating resource-based theory and the relational view, this article could explore the different forms of coopetition, in terms of organisation-wide mind-sets and firm-level behaviours. This paper concludes with some managerial recommendations, alongside a series of limitations and avenues for future research.