Coopetition and Open Strategy – Common Roots and Shared Strategic Dilemmas

Purpose: The impact of the observed multidimensional pressures and managerial tensions has increasedthe necessity to rethink the sources of competitive advantage, giving the ground for developing openand collaborative streams of research. This paper addresses this necessity by blending the lenses ofopen strategizing with coopetition phenomena in order to understand the convergence between thosetwo relational approaches to strategy formulation. Design/methodology/approach: It is a conceptual paper in which we recognize the compatibility andcommon roots of coopetition and open strategy. These we recognized through using seven managerialparadoxes. Findings: We explore seven strategic dilemmas that emerged from the overlapping contexts of thosetwo – individually paradoxical – approaches. We identify several research avenues and specific researchquestions accompanying them. Research limitations/implications: The research questions asked at the end of theorization that we see asrelevant can provide the ground for further research by scholars interested in strengthening the theoreticalfoundations of either coopetition or open strategy, but also in these two concepts simultaneously. Asa conceptual article, this paper is prone to researchers’ subjectivity bias. Originality/value: This is the first study where the perspective of blending open strategy and coopetitionis applied.