The effects of cross-functional coordination and competition on knowledge sharing and organisational innovativeness: A qualitative study in a transition economy

Abstract

Adopting a coopetition framework and a qualitative study using depth-interviews of mid-and top-levels managers in Vietnamese business organisations, this study examines the potential significance of different coordination mechanisms (decentralisation, formalisation, lateral relations, informal networking, and shared vision) in fostering knowledge sharing between marketing and other departments in the presence of cross-functional competition. This study reveals the potentially significant effect of coopetition (i.e., simultaneous coordination and competition) on the degree of knowledge sharing between marketing and other departments in business organisations. The enhanced knowledge sharing can, in turn, positively improve organisational innovativeness. These findings add to limited research on intra-firm coopetition and shed light on how cross-functional coordination and competition can be managed to foster intra-organisational knowledge sharing towards enhancing innovation in the context of Vietnam, an emerging Asian country.