To Örebro University

Building on a business network perspective, the aim of this paper is to present a theoretical view for studying service MNEs in ICT (information communication technology) projects centred on the improvement of public services. The four inter-related concepts of cooperation, legitimacy, commitment and knowledge are applied in the analysis of two projects. Defining the projects as object-based services, the study manifests how service MNEs manage three types of actors (business, politi-cal and social) having their legitimacy in different systems. The cases illustrate cross-border activities where MNEs from Sweden, Spain and China join forces in Brazil with local business, social and political actors and cooperate to strengthen their competitive market position. The study concludes that successful cooperation is partially explained by the management’s ability to incorporate business resources into the needs of the socio-political actors. Furthermore, in object-based services, which are not similar to long-term business relationships, the three involved par-ties advance different types of relationships within a loose network structure. A key implication is that extensive public–private relationships are needed even when MNEs enjoy an established position in a foreign market.

Purpose: Building on a business network perspective, the paper addresses the following question: Why do firms move between cooperation and competition in the context of high-tech industry? Hence, the purpose of this study is to contribute to the understanding of the complex cooperation–competition interplay between actors in a business network.

Design/methodology/approach: A single case study within the information and communication technology industry is undertaken and illustrates the cooperation–competition interplay in projects of technology.

Findings: The authors discuss the implications of interdependence on relationship dynamics. The main argument is that business relationships survive despite periods of competition if interdependence is high. Thus, firms move between a state of cooperation and a state of competition within business relationships, rather than ending the relationships when starting to compete.

Practical implications: This study suggests that managers need to pay attention to how different degrees of interdependence lead firms to be embedded in cooperative or competitive forms of relationships.

Originality/value: The paper contributes to the ongoing debate about cooperation, competition and coopetition within international business and industrial marketing literature. An interesting aspect in the paper is the cooperation–competition interplay, which is associated with positioning. A centrally positioned actor will choose who to bring into the partnership, with positioning concomitantly changing from project to project. The willingness of being a central actor, i.e. a project leader, places traditional buyer–supplier partners in competition. Thus, cooperation and/or competition becomes contextual.

While there are extensive researches focused on MNCs’ activities in both developed and developing markets, there are limited studies on how MNCs manage their relationships with political actors in emerging countries. This paper aims to contribute new knowledge on how MNCs, trough sustainable development projects, manage their relationships with political actors. Two comparative cases illustrating the application of ICT (Information Communication Technology) projects applied to cities in Brazil are analyzed. The network relationships include the elements of legitimacy, cooperation and knowledge. The study reveals the complexity in the interactions between the actors and indicates that legitimacy and knowledge in the business-political relationships are vital to turn challenges into opportunities. Our study contributes with knowledge not only to the research community but also to practitioners, who thus gain a more systematic understanding of their relationships in the political arena.

The paper discusses multinational enterprises (MNEs) socio-political behavior in a foreign market. In specific, the aim is to increase the understanding of how service MNEs from the ICT (information communication technology) industry, through social innovation projects oriented to improve public service in cities, deal with society and public officials in Brazil. A conceptual framework containing the four concepts cooperation, legitimacy, commitment and knowledge is applied for the analysis. Based on a single case the paper illustrates cross border activities where MNEs from Sweden, Spain and China join effort with local actors to strengthen their competitive market position. Our results reveal that an important strategy used by service MNEs is to get involved in cooperative social innovation projects involving business and socio-political actors. Successful cooperation is partially explained by the managements’ ability to incorporate the business resources with the needs of the socio-political actors. The key implication is that extensive public-private networking is needed even when MNEs enjoy an established position in a foreign market.

The paper explores the concept of coopetition by addressing a situation when business partners start to compete. Specifically, it intends to understand why firms move from cooperation to competition. To achieve this, case studies based on the development of an IT-solution for urban mobility in Brazil are undertaken. The cases show local and foreign MNEs interactions during and after the project. The findings suggest that the higher the level of interdependence, the higher likelihood of developing a cooperative strategy. In contrast, the lower the level of interdependency, the higher is the degree of competition; meaning that partners will choose a competitive strategy instead.

When studying firms inbusiness networks, researchers have tended to focus on aspects of cooperation, while competition has been less examined. One exception is the concept of coopetition, which has been explored in order to take competitive aspects of business networks into account. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the network approach literature by addressing the concept of competition, as well as interactive outcomes of competition, i.e. cooperation andcoopetition. Specifically, the paper aims to understand why firms move from cooperation to competitionin the context of the IT (information technology) industry in an emerging economy such as Brazil. To accomplish this, we conduct a case study of two different relationships where cooperation turns to competition. The case is based on the development of an IT solution for public transportation in which local and foreign MNCs interact during and after the project. The preliminary findings suggest that the higher the level of complementarity or interdependence, the higher likelihood of developing a more cooperative strategy. In contrast, the lower the level of interdependency, the higher the degree of competition:meaning that partners will choose a competitive strategy instead.