Coopetition strategy as naturalised practice in a cluster of informal businesses

Abstract

This article builds on existing analyses of coopetition strategy as practice by exploring coopetition as a social-structural and relational phenomenon. We draw on social practice theory to present an analysis of coopetition in a cluster of small informal businesses in Accra, Ghana. In so doing, we adopt a comprehensive socio-cultural perspective enabling us to account for a wider range of antecedents, drivers and both intended and unintended outcomes for individuals, firms, clusters and wider institutions. We show how immersive cooperation among competing firms became a naturalised practice in the cluster, embedded as a cultural assumption. Following this, we develop a conceptual framework that shows how the actions of individuals (agency) and strength of institutional and societal (structure) influences may lead to different forms of small business coopetition strategy.