6TH WORKSHOP ON COOPETITION STRATEGY
”COOPETITION STRATEGY AND PRACTICE”
UMEA, SWEDEN, MAY 22-23, 2014

Web site: www.eiasm.org/frontoffice/event_announcement.asp?event_id=988

HOSTED BY

CHAIRPERSONS:
Wojciech Czakon, University of Katowice, Poland
Giovanni Battista Dagnino, University of Catania, Italy
Frédéric Le Roy, University of Montpellier and GSCM-Montpellier Business School, France

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE:
Maria Bengtsson, Umeå University
Håkan Boter, Umeå University
Sören Kock, Hanken School of Economics
Malin Näsholm, Umeå School of Business and Economics
Paavo Ritala, Lappeenranta University of Technology

BACKGROUND
We welcome you to participate in the upcoming 6h EIASM Workshop on Coopetition Strategy that will be held in Umeå, Sweden in May 22-23, 2013. This is the sixth workshop on coopetition and it is arranged by the Global Coopetition Research Network (GCRN) on coopetition. The workshop was first held in Catania, Italy in 2004, and celebrates its tenth anniversary in 2014.

The workshop will in 2014 for the first time arrange a doctoral workshop giving Ph. D. students the possibility to discuss their research with other Ph. D. students and distinguished researchers within the field.

WORKSHOP THEME
Firms increasingly engage in various types of collaborative relationships in order to create value that can not be achieved by operating alone. Integrating and leveraging supplementary and complementary resources with other actors fosters the creation of many types of collaborative advantages in terms of operational efficiency, co-marketing, and innovation, (e.g. Das & Teng, 2000). Therefore, firms need increasingly to take into account their relational context when formulating their business strategies. It is noteworthy, however, that the benefits linked to a certain collaborative relationships are not always completely aligned with the individual, firm-specific strategic objectives (see e.g., Khanna et al. 1998). This is especially pinpointed in relationships that involve simultaneous competition and collaboration, i.e. coopetition (Brandenburger & Nalebuff, 1996; Bengtsson & Kock, 2000; Gnyawali & Park, 2001). Thus, firms need to take into account the “relational strategy” that maximizes the benefits of the collaborative relationships (Dyer & Singh, 1998), they also simultaneously need to follow their own strategic goals in order to remain competitive as an individual entity. To effectively deal with such contradictions, tensions, and paradoxes the need for a “coopetition strategy” is created.

The upcoming workshop aims to increase the understanding of the aforementioned context in both theory and practice perspectives. Coopetition strategy is still an emergent construct, although often mentioned as a relational strategy, a strategic dilemma, or an emergent strategy (e.g. Dagnino & Padula, 2002; Bentsson et al., 2003; Mariani, 2007; Chin et al., 2008; Ritala, 2012). In fact, coopetition studies have contributed much to our understanding on its conceptual and theoretical nature, but studies showing how coopetition strategy appears in concrete business practice is still much absent. As a remedy to this research gap, the main theme of this workshop is titled “Coopetition strategy and practice”.

In putting forward this theme, we especially refer to the recent discussions on strategy as practice To understand organizational strategies and capabilities, the importance of approaching strategy as something which organizational members do, rather than as something which the organization holds, has been highlighted (Jarzabkowski & Whittington 2008: 101). Such reasoning acts as a basis in the strategy-as-practice stream for approaching strategy as a “pattern in a stream of goal-directed activity” (Jarzabkowski 2005: 40) which continuously forms and reforms through social interactions between actors at multiple organizational levels and in the external environment (Golsorkhi, Rouleau, Seidl & Vaara 2010: 7; Regnér 2008: 568; Whittington 2006: 621). In view of such notions, the practice approach has outlined the complexity of strategy and strategizing, as well as, deviated from a traditional view of strategy as a top-down stream of managerial decisions. Instead, the simultaneous existence of multiple and potentially contrasting streams of goal-oriented activities, favored and maintained differently by actors across the organization, has been put forth to underlie strategy as a concept (Jarzabkowski 2005: 64; see also Regnér 2003: 78).

CALL FOR PAPERS
We welcome contributions discussing coopetition strategy and practice from multiple perspectives and using different methodologies. We invite contributions that focus especially, but not exclusively, to the following themes:

Theoretical and conceptual contributions

• Coopetition as a firm- or relational strategy
• Capability and routine perspectives to coopetition
• Coopetition strategy and innovation
• Business models and coopetition
• Coopetition and knowledge sharing and protection dilemma
• Coopetition as a paradox in strategy and practice: tensions, ambidexterity, and contradictions
• Coopetition portfolio dynamics: changes in coopetition roles, partners, and activities

Methodological & empirical contributions

• In-depth methods illustrating coopetition in practice, such as participatory observation, storytelling, cognitive mapping, and sense making
• In-depth, longitudinal case studies on coopetition showing how coopetition events and actions unfold over time and space
• Studies utilizing and combining rich sources of often unused data such as secondary data, databases, and archives
• Quantitative and simulation studies showing how coopetition affects performance and other strategic or practice –oriented outcomes of the firm

Practical & managerial contributions

• Managing coopetition in practice on individual, group and organizational levels
• Business models as a bridge between coopetition strategy and practice – or coopetition as a business model
• “What to share and with whom?” and other major issues of coopetition especially for practitioners

To present a paper, authors should submit a 3-page extended abstract
( all inclusive : tables, references, notes, graphs and so on), single spaced, 1 inch margins, 12 point font. )

by January 31, 2014

To be acceptable, proposals MUST be submitted only through this web site!!

All submissions must be in English!

THURSDAY MAY 22: DOCTORAL TUTORIAL

This Doctoral Tutorial will take place during the first half day.

The number of participants is limited to 10-12 students so early application is encouraged.

The workshop provides PhD students with a forum for presenting and discussing their research and an opportunity to get feedback from and exchange comments and views with fellow PhD students and to get feedback on their research from leading senior researchers in the field

All participants are expected to present, discuss, and reflect upon their work and the work of fellow students and faculty. Sessions will be based on the material that the students are submitting. Senior researchers will give their feedback on students’ ongoing research.

The material to submit should be linked to their thesis work and can consist of problem statements, as well as theoretical, methodological or analytical issues.

PH D Students interested to attend the doctoral tutorial should submit :

• A CV
• A letter of motivation
• A 5 page summary of your dissertation work you want to discuss

before January 31, 2014

No fee is charged for participation in the Doctoral Tutorial. However, participation and registration in the workshop is compulsory.

PRACTICALITIES
LOCATION
The Workshop will take place in the School of Business and Economics (USBE) at Umeå university, Sweden
Social Sciences Building
Biblioteksgränd 6
901 87 Umeå

www.usbe.umu.se/english/?languageId=1
www.usbe.umu.se/english/about/map/
www.umu.se/english/umea/getting-to

ACCOMMODATION
A limited number of rooms have been blocked in the following hotels :

Scandic Plaza
Price 983 SEK incl. VAT
Reservations are made through e-mail or phone.
E-mail: plazaumea@scandichotels.com
Phone: +46902056325
Code for reservation: UME210514
Website: www.scandichotels.com/Hotels/Sweden/Umea/Scandic-Plaza-Umea/

Hotel Aveny
Price 1045 SEK incl. VAT
Reservations are made through e-mail or phone.
E-mail: aveny.bokning@profilhotels.se
Phone: +4690134100
Code for Reservations: 17100535
Website: www.profilhotels.se/hotelaveny/

Stora hotellet
superior single rooms for 1800 SEK per night incl. VAT.

OFFICIAL UMEA TOURIST WEBSITE
www.visitumea.se/en

FEE
The fees include participation to the workshop, lunches, Workshop Dinner, morning and afternoon refreshments.

Cancellations made before May 1, 2014 will be reimbursed minus 20% of the total fee. No reimbursement will be possible after that date.