In a context of hypercompetitive business environments, emergent research on the concept of co-opetition, regarded as the relationship between actors simultaneously involved in cooperation and competition, has provided scholars and practitioners with a new understanding of inter-firm relationships. Research on co-opetition conducted during the past two decades as contributed to shape new perspectives of the ways firms realize strategic advantages, highlighting the positive outcomes of co-opetitive relationships on a firm's innovation performance. However, despite growing literature examining inter-organizational co-opetition, the research field has been little investigated in terms of the nature, dynamics and sustainability of the phenomenon within firms. This contrasts with the fact that, in relation with the expansion of information technologies as well as increased competitive pressure, organizations have to cope with growing complexity and changing roles assumed by actors within intra-firms networks. This context calls for the development of new conceptions to better understand organizational dynamics. The present paper reviews and analyzes important theoretical work conducted in the fields of co-opetition, knowledge networks and organizational ambidexterity. The authors examine and compare intra-firm co-opetitive dynamics in different contexts, reviewing work conducted on intra-firm networks, and aims to expand and add to the existing theoretical knowledge on intra-organizational co-opetitive interactions. By reviewing intra-firm co-opetitive dynamics at different levels, the paper contributes to appreciate a knowledge-based framework as driver of firm’s innovation capabilities. Implications for firm’s knowledge management strategies and practices are discussed.
