ANALYSIS OF THE COMPETITION, COOPERATION, AND COOPETITION: A COMPARISON BETWEEN PLANNED AND UNPLANNED RETAILER CLUSTERS

ANÁLISE DA COMPETIÇÃO, COOPERAÇÃO E COOPETIÇÃO: UMA COMPARAÇÃO ENTRE CLUSTERS VAREJISTAS PLANEJADOS E NÃO PLANEJADOS NA CIDADE DE SÃO PAULO

ABSTRACT

Purpose  The purpose of this study was to verify if there are significant differences between planned and unplanned retailer clusters about the competition, cooperation, and coopetition.

Design/methodology/approach  An exploratory and quantitative study was carried out by an Exploratory Factor Analysis and Multigroup Analysis-PLS. A questionnaire was applied to 535 companies belonging to the planned and unplanned clusters of the automobile and furniture retail in São Paulo city.

Findings  The findings indicate that is possible to identify, in both clusters surveyed, that there is no difference about the cooperation/collaboration analyzed, as well as about the coopetition whether they are low or high. Unlike the competition that presented greater predominance in the unplanned clusters. Thus, we can say that in these clusters, there is a greater deal of competition than cooperation. The research findings also could identify that when a company is inserted in a cluster, it has different strategy for retail businesses relationships of cooperation, competition and coopetition.

Originality/value  The major contribution of this study to the literature and administrative implications is the identification that when a company is inserted in a cluster, it has a different strategy for retail businesses relationships of cooperation, competition and coopetition.

Keywords: Cooperation; Competition; Coopetition; Clusters; Retailer clusters