Practicing coopetition for food supply chain sustainability: a contextual perspective in the Norwegian fishing industry

ABSTRACT With growing concerns about sustainability, competing companies in the food supply chain are compelled to engage in non-traditional forms of collaboration. Coopetition (i.e. horizontal collaboration with competitors) is gaining attention as a means of improving sustainability performance in supply chains. However, little is known in the existing literature about the causal mechanism and conditions of coopetition to improve supply chain sustainability in the food industry. Based on an embedded case study in the Norwegian fishing industry, we posit several propositions and develop an empirical framework delineating the relationship between coopetition and supply chain sustainability. The case study research is informed by semi-structured interviews corroborated by relevant secondary data. Our findings reveal a set of dynamic capabilities through which coopetition improves supply chain sustainability. Besides, laws and regulations, and certification and standards, positively impact the relationship between coopetition and supply chain sustainability. Conversely, insufficient funds, conflicts of interest, and firm size affect the same relationship negatively. This study contributes to the literature by providing valuable insights into coopetition as a source of dynamic capabilities. In addition, our results show how coopetition can best be leveraged by managers to improve the sustainability of the food supply chain.

[1]  H. Kilic,et al.  Perceived threat of informal players: Enhancing the operational performance of inbound tour operators through coopetition , 2022, International Journal of Tourism Research.

[2]  R. Rajesh,et al.  Modeling the growth barriers of fresh produce supply chain in the Indian context , 2022, Benchmarking: An International Journal.

[3]  D. Sarpong,et al.  Sustainability-driven co-opetition in supply chains as strategic capabilities: drivers, facilitators, and barriers , 2022, Int. J. Prod. Res..

[4]  S. Seuring,et al.  Reflecting on theory development in sustainable supply chain management , 2021, Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain.

[5]  V. Swaen,et al.  Addressing Tensions in Coopetition for Sustainable Innovation: Insights from the Automotive Industry , 2021 .

[6]  J. Sarkis,et al.  Expanding conceptual boundaries of the sustainable supply chain management and circular economy nexus , 2021, Cleaner Logistics and Supply Chain.

[7]  James M. Crick,et al.  Coopetition and family-owned wine producers , 2021 .

[8]  Man Mohan Siddh,et al.  Impact of agri-fresh food supply chain quality practices on organizational sustainability , 2021, Operations Management Research.

[9]  Mohammad H. Eslami,et al.  Financial performance and supply chain dynamic capabilities: the Moderating Role of Industry 4.0 technologies , 2021, International Journal of Production Research.

[10]  Cheree Topple,et al.  Achieving Sustainability in Food Manufacturing Operations and their Supply Chains: Key Insights from a Systematic Literature Review , 2021, Sustainable Production and Consumption.

[11]  A. Azapagic,et al.  Integrating process modelling and sustainability assessment to improve the environmental and economic sustainability in the cheese industry , 2021 .

[12]  J. Gast,et al.  Coopetition research - A systematic literature review on recent accomplishments and trajectories , 2021, Industrial Marketing Management.

[13]  S. Seuring,et al.  Dynamic capabilities in sustainable supply chain management: An inter-temporal comparison of the food and automotive industries , 2021, International Journal of Production Economics.

[14]  Madeleine E. Pullman,et al.  The impact of food supply chain traceability on sustainability performance , 2021, Operations Management Research.

[15]  Stephen Cahoon,et al.  The impact of supply chain network structure on relationship management strategies: an empirical investigation of sustainability practices in retailers , 2021 .

[16]  Hamed Jalali,et al.  Closed-loop supply chain models with coopetition options , 2021, Int. J. Prod. Res..

[17]  I. J. Orji,et al.  Multi-tier supply chain sustainability in the pulp and paper industry: a framework and evaluation methodology , 2021, Int. J. Prod. Res..

[18]  F. Tubiello,et al.  Food systems are responsible for a third of global anthropogenic GHG emissions , 2021, Nature Food.

[19]  F. Caniato,et al.  A roadmap for sustainability assessment in the food supply chain , 2021 .

[20]  S. Gold,et al.  Exploring the roles of lead organisations in spreading sustainability standards throughout food supply chains in an emerging economy , 2021 .

[21]  Kannan Govindan,et al.  Social sustainability tensions in multi-tier supply chain: A systematic literature review towards conceptual framework development , 2021, Journal of Cleaner Production.

[22]  Seyed Mohammad Sobhani,et al.  Impact of coercive and non-coercive environmental supply chain sustainability drivers on supply chain performance: mediation role of monitoring and collaboration , 2020 .

[23]  K. Govindan,et al.  Balancing price and green quality in presence of consumer environmental awareness: a green supply chain coordination approach , 2020, Int. J. Prod. Res..

[24]  Emily Bacon,et al.  Coopetition in innovation ecosystems: A comparative analysis of knowledge transfer configurations , 2020, Journal of Business Research.

[25]  R. Rajesh,et al.  Sustainable supply chains in the Indian context: An integrative decision-making model , 2020 .

[26]  T. Rustad,et al.  The value chain of the white fish industry in Norway: History, current status and possibilities for improvement – A review , 2020 .

[27]  Jiayan Xu,et al.  The coopetition effect of learning-by-doing in outsourcing , 2019, Int. J. Prod. Res..

[28]  Stefan Seuring,et al.  Assessing the role of dynamic capabilities in local food distribution: a theory-elaboration study , 2019, Supply Chain Management: An International Journal.

[29]  E. Ravagnan,et al.  Governing for sustainability in the Norwegian aquaculture industry , 2019, Ocean & Coastal Management.

[30]  M. Caridi,et al.  Sustainability in multiple stages of the food supply chain in Italy: practices, performance and reputation , 2018, Operations Management Research.

[31]  Harbir Singh,et al.  The relational view revisited: A dynamic perspective on value creation and value capture , 2018 .

[32]  E. Moors,et al.  Reducing post-harvest food losses through innovative collaboration: Insights from the Colombian and Mexican avocado supply chains , 2018, Journal of Cleaner Production.

[33]  Gopal Kumar,et al.  Missing link between sustainability collaborative strategy and supply chain performance: Role of dynamic capability , 2018, International Journal of Production Economics.

[34]  J. Boeve-de Pauw,et al.  The Sustainability Consciousness Questionnaire: The theoretical development and empirical validation of an evaluation instrument for stakeholders working with sustainable development , 2018, Sustainable Development.

[35]  Constantin Blome,et al.  Dynamic supply chain capabilities , 2018, International Journal of Operations & Production Management.

[36]  W. A. P. Dania,et al.  Collaboration behavioural factors for sustainable agri-food supply chains: A systematic review , 2018 .

[37]  Vatcharapol Sukhotu,et al.  Sustainable supply chain collaboration: incentives in emerging economies , 2018 .

[38]  O. Tang,et al.  Supply chain collaboration for sustainability: A literature review and future research agenda , 2017 .

[39]  Katherine L. Christ,et al.  Coopetition as a Potential Strategy for Corporate Sustainability , 2017 .

[40]  Maria Caridi,et al.  Developing sustainability in the Italian meat supply chain: an empirical investigation , 2017, Int. J. Prod. Res..

[41]  Ki-Jung Ju,et al.  Causal Relationship between Supply Chain Dynamic Capabilities, Technological Innovation, and Operational Performance , 2016 .

[42]  M. Bengtsson,et al.  The coopetition paradox and tension: The moderating role of coopetition capability , 2016 .

[43]  H. Shee,et al.  Sustainable distribution through coopetition strategy , 2015 .

[44]  Stefan Seuring,et al.  Sustainable supply chain management practices and dynamic capabilities in the food industry: A critical analysis of the literature , 2014 .

[45]  Hing Kai Chan,et al.  Sustainable food supply chain management , 2014 .

[46]  M. Bengtsson,et al.  Managing coopetition to create opportunities for small firms , 2014 .

[47]  M. Bengtsson,et al.  Coopetition—Quo vadis? Past accomplishments and future challenges , 2014 .

[48]  Sascha Kraus,et al.  Innovation in knowledge-intensive industries: The double-edged sword of coopetition , 2013 .

[49]  R. Manzini,et al.  The new conceptual framework for food supply chain assessment , 2013 .

[50]  Kevin G. Corley,et al.  Seeking Qualitative Rigor in Inductive Research , 2013 .

[51]  Frank Wiengarten,et al.  Supply chain environmental investments in dynamic industries: Comparing investment and performance differences with static industries , 2012 .

[52]  Devi R. Gnyawali,et al.  Co-opetition between giants: Collaboration with competitors for technological innovation , 2011 .

[53]  Gary Thomas,et al.  How to Do Your Case Study , 2011 .

[54]  Anna Nagurney,et al.  Sustainable supply chain network design: a multicriteria perspective , 2010 .

[55]  Kuo-Ting Hung,et al.  General Risk Propensity in Multifaceted Business Decisions: Scale Development , 2010 .

[56]  P. Pedrazzoli,et al.  Towards an integrated framework for sustainable innovation , 2008 .

[57]  Stefan Seuring,et al.  From a literature review to a conceptual framework for sustainable supply chain management , 2008 .

[58]  Yadong Luo,et al.  A coopetition perspective of global competition , 2007 .

[59]  Michael H. Morris,et al.  Coopetition as a Small Business Strategy: Implications for Performance , 2007 .

[60]  G. Kovács,et al.  Abductive reasoning in logistics research , 2005 .

[61]  Danny Samson,et al.  Effective case research in operations management: a process perspective , 2002 .

[62]  P. Ritala.  Coopetition Strategy – When is it Successful? Empirical Evidence on Innovation and Market Performance , 2001 .

[63]  M. Bengtsson,et al.  ”Coopetition” in Business Networks—to Cooperate and Compete Simultaneously , 2000 .

[64]  John Elkington,et al.  Partnerships from cannibals with forks: The triple bottom line of 21st‐century business , 1998 .

[65]  J. Elkington.  Cannibals with Forks , 1997 .

[66]  A. Huberman,et al.  Qualitative Data Analysis: A Methods Sourcebook , 1994 .

[67]  Jan B. Heide,et al.  The Shadow Of The Future: Effects Of Anticipated Interaction And Frequency Of Contact On Buyer-Seller Cooperation , 1992 .

[68]  K. Eisenhardt.  Building theories from case study research , 1989, STUDI ORGANIZZATIVI.

[69]  Puneet Kaur,et al.  Supply chain collaboration and sustainable development goals (SDGs). Teamwork makes achieving SDGs dream work , 2022, Journal of Business Research.

[70]  Theodore Tarnanidis,et al.  How Far the TBL Concept of Sustainable Entrepreneurship Extends Beyond the Various Sustainability Regulations: Can Greek Food Manufacturing Enterprises Sustain Their Hybrid Nature Over Time? , 2019 .

[71]  K. Govindan.  Sustainable consumption and production in the food supply chain: A conceptual framework , 2018 .

[72]  Juan Liu,et al.  Dynamic capabilities, environmental dynamism, and competitive advantage: Evidence from China , 2014 .

[73]  Mark Pagell,et al.  Why Research in Sustainable Supply Chain Management Should Have No Future , 2014 .

[74]  J. Hontelez,et al.  Sustainable Consumption and Production , 2010 .