The impact of international coopetitive relationships on surrounding vertical networks during COVID-19

This study investigates the evolution of international coopetitive relationships and their impact on vertical networks during the global COVID-19 pandemic. There is a call for more research about coopetition from an international perspective. Moreover, vertical coopetition from a network perspective is scarcely researched. In this study, we aim to fill these research gaps. The empirical study is based on qualitative case study methodology. The findings demonstrate that coopetitive relationships have both positive and negative effects on the activities, performances, and business relationships of actors within vertical networks. The impact differs for suppliers and distributors as relationships evolve, influenced by the COVID-19 pandemic. This research contributes to existing theory on coopetition by widening the scope to include surrounding vertical networks and adopting a dynamic temporal perspective to illustrate the evolution of coopetitive relationships and their implications, particularly during a pandemic.