Decoding coopetition performance using impactful coopetition attributes: Evidence from manufacturing companies

The concept of coopetition - simultaneous collaboration and competition between organizations to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes - plays a pivotal role in shaping business performance, particularly during periods of rapid technological advancements. This is especially evident the manufacturing sector, where innovation and competitive dynamics intersect with economic and social forces. The current academic discourse predominantly focuses on the qualitative identification and analysis of coopetition attributes, leaving a significant gap for large-scale quantitative studies to enable empirical assessment. This study aims to examine the significance of three groups of coopetition attributes for coopetition performance classified into two strategic ( dynamics , paradoxicality ), six relational ( asymmetry , complexity , coopetition intensity , mutual dependence , strength , tensions ), and five behavioral attributes ( competition intensity , conflict , formality , investments , trust ). Using data from 1216 manufacturing firms in Poland and employing a generalized Covariance based Structural Equation Model (CB-SEM), this study offers nuanced insights to the global discourse at the intersection of technological change and social dynamics. The results indicate that the strategic attribute paradoxicality , the relational attribute strength , and most of the behavioral attributes ( trust, competition intensity, investments, formality ) positively impact coopetition performance. Additionally, a significant negative impact of the strategic attribute dynamics was demonstrated, while no significant influence was identified for the remaining relational attributes ( asymmetry, tensions ) as well as the behavioral attribute conflict . Diverging from prior qualitative approaches, this study offers data-driven insights for decision-makers navigating societal and technological change, highlighting which attributes should be stimulated to enhance coopetition performance while minimizing the level of dynamics within coopetition strategies. • Coopetition attributes can be clustered into behavioral, strategic and relational. • Coopetition attributes significantly impact coopetition performance in various ways. • Paradoxicality, strength and behavioral attributes positively impact performance. • Dynamics negatively impact coopetition performance.