Coopetition as an Emergent Construct: Identifying a Reification Process

Given the interest in coopetition and the associated intellectual ferment, one might suppose that a common understanding is developing. In fact, a shared conceptualization of coopetition is not yet in sight. In this paper we explore two research questions. First, what meanings of coopetition are affirmed in the literature so far? Second, to what extent in this process is the coopetition construct being reified and to what extent is it being allowed to remain open for further construction and interpretation? Through the use of a bibliographic coupling analysis, we identify the theoretical roots and orientations of studies that have focused on coopetition, and suggest likely directions for future developments.