Coopetition strategies as a source of tensions: the EADS-Thales case within the industry of telecommunication satellites
Coopetition strategies combine two contradictory forces: competition and collaboration. These strategies generate strong tensions between coopetitors. Coopetitive tensions have been previously studied at the inter-organizational level but less at the intra-organizational level. In order to fill this theoretical gap, an in-depth case study was conducted in the manufacturing sector of telecommunication satellites. A space program realized in coopetition by EADS and Thales was analyzed. Our findings confirm the existence of tensions at the inter-organizational level and evidence tensions at the intra-organizational level. A typology of coopetitive tensions based on the levels of analysis is thus proposed.