Coopetition in financial cooperative meta-organizations

Today, meta‑organizations are a phenomenon increasingly present in many business sectors chal‑ lenging "the traditional theoretical framework of organizational analysis" (Berkowitz & Dumez, 2016: 150). Their structural complexity implies the simultaneous existence of cooperative and competitive activities between the different units composing the meta‑organization. This com‑ bination of opposing dimensions, such as value creation versus its appropriation, establishes a paradoxical relationship generating multiple tensions that cannot be eliminated because they are not inherent to coopetitive relations, but they can be managed in order to maintain cooperation at the forefront, which represents a source of performance for companies. Thus, the management of coopetition emerges as a relevant aspect of strategic management, whose objective should not be to eliminate the tensions, but rather to channel them through various coordination mechanisms, preserving a dynamic balance of this paradoxical situation to exploit the advantages of both collaboration and competition. The coordination mechanisms are designed and implemented using a combination of plans, roles, and procedures to facilitate inter‑unit collaboration and reduce competitive tensions, giving all participants the opportunity to channel their expertise and professional ambition into a positive contribution to the meta‑organization.