For the greater good: The need for “coopetition” in public health

The social sector, which includes non-profits and voluntary and public health organizations and agencies, has increasingly adopted a for-profit mindset, including the adoption of competitive strategies. Often at odds, the social sector also relies heavily on cooperation through collaboration and partnership to advance the interests of important causes. The purpose of this paper was to examine how competition and cooperation co-exist as “coopetition” and how this principle can enhance partnerships and collaboration. “Coopetition,” a new neologism into business vernacular, refers to a company cooperating with its competition. In order to discuss the benefits of adoption in the social sector, several levels of analyses were completed. First, using principles from game theory, examples are used to identify foundational elements from which to build a social construct. Second, case studies from the business sector were analyzed to identify the evolution and successful use of coopetition. Third, public health peer-reviewed and gray literature were reviewed to identify the presence of both competition and cooperation both separately and together. Analyses in these three domains reveal several important findings for public health practitioners, researchers and policymakers. Nature also provides us with cues on how competition and cooperation can co-exist. Considering these cues theoretically, we can draw parallels from the lessons learned from the business sector's successful use of coopetition with those learned from the social sector. Promising public health practices will be highlighted to leverage a discussion of diffusing coopetition to better facilitate work for the greater good.