Paradoxical tensions at multiple levels and top management team cross-level bridging in coopetition: a conceptual model

In contrast to the conventional strategic management research, emphasizing either cooperation or competition as a beneficial strategy, the emerging literature on coopetition has advanced our knowledge of how the pursuit of both cooperation and competition could potentially lead to greater benefits. However, the literature offers scarce insights into the multi-level dynamics of coopetition and the role of TMT in addressing paradoxical tensions cascaded across levels, that, if not tackled well, can overturn the benefits associated with coopetition. Using key insights from the paradox literature, this paper develops a conceptual model that suggests how the coopetition paradox unfolds at different levels within the organization, activating performing, organizing, and belonging tensions, that, in turn, affect the dynamics of the interplay between cooperation and competition at the inter-firm level. Specifically, the model contributes by foregrounding TMT’s cross-level bridging role (i.e., uniform navigation within and among relationships at the interorganizational level through efficient orchestration of internal processes at organizational levels).