Partnering based on coopetition in the interorganizational networks of tourism: a comparison between Curitiba and Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil

Purpose – This paper presents a model to analyze the context and critical behavior of interorganizational partnering based on the coopetition strategy. Design/methodology/approach – This research is exploratory, and makes use of descriptive statistical methodology. Data collection was based on an entrepreneurial perception survey applied to 545 tourism firms and 49 local business associations in two Brazilian cities. Findings – The main theoretical approach of this research was to introduce a partnering model, and its variables, based on coopetition – whereas its main empirical finding was to prove that the high internal competition among participants, within the tourism sector, is a greater source of coopetition behavior than external competition itself. Shared values, mutual trust, complementarity and awareness of the competitive advantages that result from partnering co-exist with the internal competition between firms belonging to this sector. Originality/value – Coopetition in the tourism sector has been little explored, but this study confirms that coopetition is a hybrid behavior which is very suitable to explain current market relationships; it also represents the interorganizational networks generated by business associations. The value of this research was to provide a scale to measure cooperative and competitive contexts on partnering based on the coopetition strategy, which can be applied to other industries or sectors.