Pair programming teams and high-quality knowledge sharing: A comparative study of coopetitive reward structures

© 2015, Springer Science+Business Media New York. There has been a growing research interest in understanding knowledge sharing in agile development. Yet, empirical research that sheds light on its underlying practices, such as pair programming, is evolving. This study uses insights from coopetition and software literature to focus inquiry on the relation between coopetitive rewards and high-quality knowledge sharing in pair programming teams. Theoretical hypotheses are developed and validated, suggesting that: ‘coopetitive rewards influence high-quality knowledge sharing both directly and over time through their impact on the level of knowledge sharing satisfaction’, and, ‘the impact of coopetitive rewards on high-quality knowledge sharing is dependent upon task complexity and the history of working under similar reward structure’. This study generates new understanding related to the use of rewards in pair programming teams, and offers a rigorous and replicable seven-step experimental process for simulating coopetitive structures and investigating their role in pair programming and in similar collaborative contexts

The cooperation-competition paradox: Managing coopetition across firm sizes

This publication-based dissertation investigates how firms of different sizes and structures manage simultaneous cooperation and competition (coopetition). It includes five self-contained research papers, four designed for publication in peer-reviewed academic journals, and one developed for publication as an academic teaching case study. The first paper is a systematic literature review that identifies recent accomplishments and future trends in coopetition research. It delivers a comprehensive, unique, and updated view on the field, unifying scattered research findings into a cohesive and overarching framework. The second paper is a single-case study, zooming in on the inner workings of a corporate incubator. It explores the role and management of internal coopetition to develop entrepreneurial competencies for business model innovation. The third paper shifts the research focus toward large multinational enterprises to explore the formation of new coopetition relationships. It illuminates a new organizational design and accompanying management principles to address paradoxical tensions in the first and potentially most difficult phase of coopetition. The fourth paper taps into the complexities of coopetition between small- and mid-sized firms and large corporates. It uncovers three coopetition strategies and a mix of management principles for smaller firms to navigate asymmetrical risks in coopetition with larger companies. The fifth paper expands the scope of the dissertation to include an entire industry, analyzing the drivers, strategies, and outcomes of coopetition in a highly concentrated and regulated sector. Taken together, the five research papers collectively contribute to a more nuanced understanding about the management of coopetition and provide valuable implications and recommendations for practitioners

Information elaboration and coopetition : participation in the replacement of legacy systems

Legacy information system (LIS) replacement pro-jects are increasingly complex. Consequently, they require cooperation to integrate different functional knowledge to support organizational business processes. However, cooperation on cross-functional LIS replacement project teams face inherent competition for scarce resources and conflicting functional interests. The common assertion is to reduce or eliminate this competition. We suggest that the potential benefits of competition complement the known benefits of cooperation. Thus, this study explores the extent to which different configurations of simultaneous competition and cooperation (i.e., coopetition) enhance decision-making processes in the context of LIS replacement. Information elaboration theory guides decision-making in the coopetition–performance relationship. We propose a model that relates different patterns of coopetition, based on a two continua approach, to three information elaboration techniques and their impact on system design quality. We test the model using a survey administered to 161 pairs of matched IT executives and managerial leaders knowledgeable about LIS replacement. Analysis indicates that cooperation-centric coopetition (strong cooperation with some competition) best enhances decision-making processes and improves system design quality.http://ieeexplore.ieee.org/xpl/RecentIssue.jsp?punumber=17hj2023Informatic

Information practices in coopetition context: the case of a large video game company

Studies on the information practices in a cooperative context are rare. Yet, issues of access, sharing or retention of information are crucial. This study investigates how professionals in a global digital entertainment company define their information source horizon and the factors that influence them. Using Savolainen’s information horizon methodology, we conducted an exploratory study based on interviews organised at the Montreal studio during which our 29 participants had to place their sources of information on mind maps.Analysis. Quantitative data was collected and analysed on participants' preferences for information sources. We also employed grounded theory techniques to review our interview transcripts using NVivo software. We propose a new categorisation of sources and confirm the typology of Savolainen’s criteria. The results revealed that coopetition and technological contexts shaped information practices of gameworkers. The results of our study on the informational practices of gameworkers could find application in strategic information and knowledge management.Peer Reviewe

Coopetition from Beginning to End: An Analysis of the Cooperation Process between Competitors

This research aims to analyze, from beginning to end, the process of interorganizational coopetition, seeking to understand the temporal patterns of coopetitive relationships by exploring their antecedents, processes and results, which in this research are understood as: the moment before interorganizational coopetition (pre-coopetition), the moment when interorganizational coopetition is in progress (coopetition) and the moment after the end of the coopetitive relationship between competitors (post coopetition). For this, a case study was developed, using a qualitative approach. The case was defined from the identification of competitive and cooperative elements in the relationship between two Brazilian non-profit organizations, one of which is governmental and the other sectoral. Data were collected from January 2018 to February 2020 and analyzed through narrative analysis and pattern matching, using the MAXQDA 2020 software. The study from the beginning to the end of the coopetitive relationship allowed to contribute to the literature, identify different elements of cooperation and competition in the moment before and after the coopetitive relationship. Unlike the pre-coopetitive moment, which presented some elements of cooperation, in the post-coopetition moment a strategy of pure competition between organizations was identified.This research aims to analyze, from beginning to end, the process of interorganizational coopetition, seeking to understand the temporal patterns of coopetitive relationships by exploring their antecedents, processes and results, which in this research are understood as: the moment before interorganizational coopetition (pre-coopetition), the moment when interorganizational coopetition is in progress (coopetition) and the moment after the end of the coopetitive relationship between competitors (post coopetition). For this, a case study was developed, using a qualitative approach. The case was defined from the identification of competitive and cooperative elements in the relationship between two Brazilian non-profit organizations, one of which is governmental and the other sectoral. Data were collected from January 2018 to February 2020 and analyzed through narrative analysis and pattern matching, using the MAXQDA 2020 software. The study from the beginning to the end of the coopetitive relationship allowed to contribute to the literature, identify different elements of cooperation and competition in the moment before and after the coopetitive relationship. Unlike the pre-coopetitive moment, which presented some elements of cooperation, in the post-coopetition moment a strategy of pure competition between organizations was identified

Walking the Tightrope: Coopetition Capability Construct and Its Role in Value Creation

Prior research emphasizes the paradoxical nature of coopetition and the need for specialized capabilities—coopetition capability—to deal effectively with opportunities and challenges stemming from the simultaneous pursuit of cooperation and competition and to create superior value. However, we know little about the underlying conceptual properties of coopetition capability (construct clarity) and lack a reliable and valid scale to measure it (construct validity). We conduct a study in three phases to address this critical gap. First, building on paradox literature, we conceptualize coopetition capability as a multidimensional construct reflected by three underlying dimensions: coopetition mindset, analytical acumen, and executional skills. Second, we develop a 15-item psychometrically valid scale using a sample of 647 coopetitive alliances in high-technology sectors. Finally, using a matched sample of 536 coopetitive alliances, we extend the focal construct's nomological network by examining two relationships: coopetition experience's impact on coopetition capability and the effect of coopetition capability on the relationship between the coopetition paradox and value creation. Overall, our paper lays a foundation for deeper theory development and empirical research on coopetition by providing much-needed construct clarity and psychometrically valid measures for coopetition capability

Cross-functional Team Coopetition to Improve SDG 8.4 : A Fuzzy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis

To ensure global sustainability, the UN has set 17 sustainable development goals (SDG). With the 8th goal, which is described as decent work and economic growth, the UN pursues economic growth with economically more efficient production and consumption. Many critics see these aspects as conflicting, so that meeting one goal in certain cases does not lead to reach the other goal. This paper examines the influence of employees' personalities on their preferences for economic efficiency and environmental friendliness in economically strong countries. This study provides a survey of 117 participants using a fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis. The results show that individuals can be categorized into the following personality profiles based on their preferences: Open minded and neurotic employee classified to environmental friendly thinking, and extravert employee classified to economic efficient thinking. In the theory of coopetition cross-functional and -thinking teams, it could be potentially assumed individuals can be brought together to improve reaching both aspects of SDG 8.4. The major contribution of this study is to provide a conceptual foundation and identify a possible way to improve team coopetition on the SDG 8.4 that shows promise for future research

Coopetition in an open-source way : lessons from mobile and cloud computing infrastructures

An increasing amount of technology is no longer developed in-house. Instead, we are in a new age where technology is developed by a networked community of individuals and organizations, who base their relations to each other on mutual interest. Advances arising from research in platforms, ecosystems, and infrastructures can provide valuable knowledge for better understanding and explaining technology development among a network of firms. More surprisingly, recent research suggests that technology can be jointly developed by rival competing firms in an open-source way. For instance, it is known that the mobile device makers Apple and Samsung continued collaborating in open-source projects while running expensive patent wars in the courts. On top of multidisciplinary theory in open-source software, cooperation among competitors (aka coopetition) and digital infrastructures, I (and my coauthors) explored how rival firms cooperate in the joint development of open-source infrastructures. While assimilating a wide variety of paradigms and analytical approaches, this doctoral research combined the qualitative analysis of naturally occurring data (QA) with the mining of software repositories (MSR) and social network analysis (SNA) within a set of case studies. By turning to the mobile and cloud computing industries in general, and the WebKit and OpenStack opensource infrastructures in particular, we found out that qualitative ethnographic materials, combined with social network visualizations, provide a rich medium that enables a better understanding of competitive and cooperative issues that are simultaneously present and interconnected in open-source infrastructures. Our research contributes back to managerial literature in coopetition strategy, but more importantly to Information Systems by addressing both cooperation and competition within the development of high-networked open-source infrastructures.Yhä suurempaa osaa teknologiasta ei enää kehitetä organisaatioiden omasta toimesta. Sen sijaan, olemme uudella aikakaudella jossa teknologiaa kehitetään verkostoituneessa yksilöiden ja organisaatioiden yhteisössä, missä toimitaan perustuen yhteiseen tavoitteeseen. Alustojen, ekosysteemien ja infrastruktuurien tutkimuksen tulokset voivat tuottaa arvokasta tietämystä teknologian kehittämisestä yritysten verkostossa. Erityisesti tuore tutkimustieto osoittaa että kilpailevat yritykset voivat yhdessä kehittää teknologiaa avoimeen lähdekoodiin perustuvilla käytännöillä. Esimerkiksi tiedetään että mobiililaitteiden valmistajat Apple ja Samsung tekivät yhteistyötä avoimen lähdekoodin projekteissa ja kävivät samaan aikaan kalliita patenttitaistoja eri oikeusfoorumeissa. Perustuen monitieteiseen teoriaan avoimen lähdekoodin ohjelmistoista, yhteistyöstä kilpailijoiden kesken (coopetition) sekä digitaalisista infrastruktuureista, minä (ja kanssakirjoittajani) tutkimme miten kilpailevat yritykset tekevät yhteistyötä avoimen lähdekoodin infrastruktuurien kehityksessä. Sulauttaessaan runsaan joukon paradigmoja ja analyyttisiä lähestymistapoja case-joukon puitteissa, tämä väitöskirjatutkimus yhdisti luonnollisesti esiintyvän datan kvantitatiivisen analyysin ohjelmapakettivarastojen louhintaan ja sosiaalisten verkostojen analyysiin. Tutkiessamme mobiili- ja pilvipalveluiden teollisuudenaloja yleisesti, ja WebKit ja OpenStack avoimen lähdekoodin infrastruktuureja erityisesti, havaitsimme että kvalitatiiviset etnografiset materiaalit yhdistettyinä sosiaalisten verkostojen visualisointiin tuottavat rikkaan aineiston joka mahdollistaa avoimen lähdekoodin infrastruktuuriin samanaikaisesti liittyvien kilpailullisten ja yhteistyökuvioiden hyvän ymmärtämisen. Tutkimuksemme antaa oman panoksensa johdon kirjallisuuteen coopetition strategy -alueella, mutta sitäkin enemmän tietojärjestelmätieteeseen, läpikäymällä sekä yhteistyötä että kilpailua tiiviisti verkostoituneessa avoimen lähdekoodin infrastruktuurien kehitystoiminnassaUma crescente quantidade de tecnologia não é desenvolvida internamente por uma só organização. Em vez disso, estamos em uma nova era em que a tecnologia é desenvolvida por uma comunidade de indivíduos e organizações que baseiam suas relações umas com as outras numa rede de interesse mútuo. Os avanços teórico decorrentes da pesquisa em plataformas computacionais, ecossistemas e infraestruturas digitais fornecem conhecimentos valiosos para uma melhor compreensão e explicação do desenvolvimento tecnológico por uma rede de multiplas empresas. Mais surpreendentemente, pesquisas recentes sugerem que tecnologia pode ser desenvolvida conjuntamente por empresas rivais concorrentes e de uma forma aberta (em código aberto). Por exemplo, sabe-se que os fabricantes de dispositivos móveis Apple e Samsung continuam a colaborar em projetos de código aberto ao mesmo tempo que se confrontam em caras guerras de patentes nos tribunais. Baseados no conhecimento científico de software de código aberto, de cooperação entre concorrentes (também conhecida como coopetição) e de infraestruturas digitais, eu e os meus co-autores exploramos como empresas concorrentes cooperam no desenvolvimento conjunto de infraestruturas de código aberto. Ao utilizar uma variedade de paradigmas e abordagens analíticas, esta pesquisa de doutoramento combinou a análise qualitativa de dados de ocorrência natural (QA) com a análise de repositórios de softwares (MSR) e a análise de redes sociais (SNA) dentro de um conjunto de estudos de casos. Ao investigar as industrias de technologias móveis e de computação em nuvem em geral, e as infraestruturas em código aberto WebKit e OpenStack, em particular, descobrimos que o material etnográfico qualitativo, combinado com visualizações de redes sociais, fornece um meio rico que permite uma melhor compreensão das problemas competitivos e cooperativos que estão simultaneamente presentes e interligados em infraestruturas de código aberto. A nossa pesquisa contribui para a literatura em gestão estratégica e coompetição, mas mais importante para literatura em Sistemas de Informação, abordando a cooperação e concorrência no desenvolvimento de infraestruturas de código aberto por uma rede the indivíduos e organizações em interesse mútuo