Selfish Cooperation and Altruistic Competition: Impacts of Multi-Motivated Coopetition in Community Development

Abstract While cooperation among communities is essential for community development, competition is inevitable as communities often compare themselves and strive to outdo one another. These ambivalent dynamics can be described as coopetition. Such coopetitive actions are driven by two motivations: selfishness and altruism. This study explores the relationship between these ambivalent actions, their underlying motivations, and the outcomes of community-driven development (CDD), drawing on survey and interview data from a CDD program implemented in 100 villages in Myanmar. The findings indicate that selfish cooperation produces worse outcomes than either selfish or altruistic competition, whereas altruistic cooperation yields the best results. Moreover, these patterns persist over time, even beyond the official period of the CDD program. These results underscore the importance of genuine cooperation—grounded in shared visions within communities and trust among villages—for achieving successful CDD outcomes.