Advertisement

Journal of Educational Change

, Volume 15, Issue 1, pp 1–18 | Cite as

Coopetition in education: Collaborating in a competitive environment

  • Daniel Muijs
  • Nataliya Rumyantseva
Article
First Online:

Abstract

While educational theory has often seen collaboration and competition as incompatible, there is increasing evidence that collaboration persists in educational markets characterized by competition. In this paper, we use the theoretical lens of ‘coopetition’, a relationship between organizations involving competition in some segments and cooperation in others, to study this phenomenon and look at the applicability of this concept to education. A case study approach was used to study collaboration and competition in a network of eleven 6th-form colleges, which teach 16–18-year-old students in England. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with managers in each college. Documentary evidence was collected such as websites, brochures, and publicity materials. Results show that the collaborative network was perceived positively. The concept of coopetition was clearly applicable to this network, with collaboration and competition equally informing college strategies and policies, and many aspects of coopetition theory applying to the network. However, challenges to future collaboration were identified.

Keywords

Networking Collaboration Competition Coopetition 
This is a preview of subscription content, log in to check access.

References

  1. Ainscow, M., Muijs, D., & West, M. (2006). Collaboration as a strategy for improving schools in challenging circumstances. Improving Schools, 9(3), 1–11.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  2. Ball, S. (1994). Education reform: A critical and post-structural approach. Buckingham: Open University Press.Google Scholar
  3. Ball, S. (2003). Class strategies and the education market: The middle classes and social advantage. London: RoutledgeFalmer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  4. Bennett, R. A., & Kottasz, R. (2011). Strategic, competitive and cooperative approaches to internationalisation in European business schools. Journal of Marketing Management, 27(11–12), 1087–1116.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  5. Bengtsson, M., & Kock, S. (2000). Coopetition in business networks—to cooperate and compete simultaneously. Industrial Marketing Management, 49 (3), 411–426.Google Scholar
  6. Berkemeyer, N., Bos, W., Manitius, V., & Müthing, H. (2008). Unterrichtsentwicklung in NetzwerkenKonzeptionen, Befunde, Perspektiven. Muster: Waxmann.Google Scholar
  7. Brandenburger, A., & Nalebuff, J. (1996). Co-opetition: A revolution mindset that combines competition and cooperation: The game theory strategy that’s changing the game of business. New York: Profile Books.Google Scholar
  8. Bruno, C. (1993). Big red keeps rolling. Novell’s next move. Network World, 10(40), 52–54.Google Scholar
  9. Chakrabarti, R. (2011). Vouchers, responses and the test-taking population. Regression-discontinuity evidence from Florida. New York: Federal Reserve Bank of New York Staff Reports no 486.Google Scholar
  10. Chapman, C., & Allen, T. (2005). Partnerships for improvement: The specialist schools achievement programme. London: The Specialist Schools Trust.Google Scholar
  11. Chapman, C., Muijs, D. & MacAllister, J. (2012). Collaborative school turnaround: A study of the impact of federation on student outcomes. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Vancouver, Canada, April 2012.Google Scholar
  12. Chapman, C., Muijs, D. & Sammons, P. (2010). Federations and student outcomes: A study of the impact of school-to-school collaboration on school improvement. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Denver, CO, April 2010.Google Scholar
  13. Clark, D. (2005). Politics, markets and schools: Quasi-experimental evidence on the impact of autonomy and competition from a truly revolutionary UK reform. Berkeley, CA: University of California.Google Scholar
  14. CUREE. (2005). Systematic research review: The impact of networks on pupils, practitioners, organisations and the committees they serve. Nottingham: NCSL.Google Scholar
  15. Dagnino, P. & Padula, P. (2002). Coopetition strategy. A new form of interfirm dynamics for value creation. Paper presented at the European Academy of Management Second Annual Conference—“Innovative Research in Management” Stockholm, 9–11 May 2002.Google Scholar
  16. Damore, S. J., Kapustka, K. M., & McDevitt, P. (2011). The urban professional development schools network: Assessing the partnership’s impact on initial teacher education. The Teacher Educator, 46(3), 182–207.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  17. Dronkers, J., & Robert, P. (2008). School choice in the light of the effectiveness differences of various types of public and private schools in 19 OECD countries. Journal of School Choice, 2(3), 260–300.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  18. Erixon Arreman, I., & Holm, A.-S. (2011). School as “Edu-business”: Four “serious players” in the Swedish upper secondary school market. Education Inquiry, 2(4), 637–657.Google Scholar
  19. Ghosh, S. (2009). Strategic interaction among public school districts: Evidence on spatial interdependence in school inputs. Economics of Education Review, 29(3), 440–450.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  20. Gibbons, S., Machin, S., & Silva, O. (2008). Choice, competition and pupil achievement. Journal of the European Economic Association, 6(4), 912–947.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  21. Hadfield, M., Jopling, M., Noden, C., & O’Leary, D. (2005). The existing knowledge base around the impact of networking and collaboration. Nottingham: NCSL Networked Learning Group.Google Scholar
  22. Hargreaves, L. (1996). Collaboration: A condition for survival for small rural schools? In D. Bridges & C. Husbands (Eds.), Consorting and collaborating in the education marketplace (pp. 21–38). London: Falmer Press.Google Scholar
  23. Jones, C., Hesterly, W. S., & Borgatti, S. P. (1997). A General theory of network governance: Exchange conditions and social mechanisms. Academy of Management Review, 22(4), 911–945.Google Scholar
  24. Kahne, J., O’Brien, J., Brown, A., & Quinn, T. (2001). Leveraging social capital and school improvement: The case of a school network and a comprehensive community initiative in Chicago. Educational Administration Quarterly, 37(4), 429–461.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  25. Lacomba, J. A., Lagos, F., & Neugebauer, T. (2011). Who makes the pie bigger? An experimental study on co-opetition. New Zealand Economic Papers, 45(1–2), 59–68.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  26. Lecocq, X., & Yami, S. (2002). From value chain to value networks: Towards a new strategic model. In S. Lundan (Ed.), Network Knowledge in international business. Northampton, MA: Edward Elgar Publishing.Google Scholar
  27. Mention, A.-L. (2010). Co-operation and co-opetition as open innovation practices in the service sector: Which influence on innovation novelty? Technovation, 31(1), 44–53.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  28. Miles, M., & Huberman, A. (1994). Qualitative data analysis. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
  29. Muijs, D., Chapman, C., Ainscow, M., & West, M. (2011). Networking and collaboration in education. Dordrecht: Springer.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  30. Muijs, D. & Rumyantseva, N. (2012). Coopetition in education? A case study of collaboration in a competitive environment. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association. Vancouver, Canada, April 2012.Google Scholar
  31. Muijs, D., West, M., & Ainscow, M. (2010). Why network? Theoretical perspectives on networking and collaboration between schools. School Effectiveness and School Improvement, 21(1), 5–27.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  32. Nooteboom, B. (2004). Inter-firm collaboration, networks and strategy : An integrated approach (1st ed.). New York, NY: Routledge.Google Scholar
  33. Pittaway, L., Robertson, M., Munir, K., Denier, D., & Neely, A. (2004). Networking and innovation: A systematic review of the evidence. International Journal of Management Reviews, 5/6(3 and 4), 137–168.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  34. Rincke, J. (2005). Competition in the public school sector: Evidence on strategic interaction among US school districts. Journal of Urban Economics, 59(3), 352–369.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  35. Rosenfeld, S. A. (1996). Does cooperation enhance competitiveness? Assessing the impacts of inert-firm collaboration. Research Policy, 25(3), 247–263.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  36. Sandstrom, F. M., & Bergstrom, F. (2005). School vouchers in practise: Competition will not hurt you. Journal of Public Economics, 89(4), 351–380.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  37. Schwandt, Thomas A., & Halpern, Edward S. (1988). Linking auditing and metaevaluation: Enhancing quality in applied research. London: Sage.Google Scholar
  38. Van der Wende, M. (2007). Internationalisation of higher education in the OECD countries: Challenges and opportunities for the coming decade. Journal of Studies in International Education, 11(3/4), 274–289.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  39. Wasser, J. D., & Bresler, L. (1996). Working in a collaborative zone: Conceptualising collaboration in qualitative research teams. Educational Researcher, 25(5), 5–15.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
  40. Wiborg, S. (2010) Swedish free schools: Do they work? Published by the centre for learning and life chances in knowledge economies and societies at: http://www.llakes.org.

Copyright information

© Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Southampton Education SchoolUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK

Personalised recommendations

Cite article

Buy options