Project and functional managers: Coopetition paradox and leadership impact

Abstract: The coopetition (simultaneous focusing on cooperation and competition) between organizations and within organizations has received increasing attention from academia and practice. However, there is no guide on how coopetition can be encouraged. I discuss in how far leadership styles (Transformational, Transactional, laissez-faire, and Autocratic) can be utilized to enable coopetition between the project manager and functional manager and between the project managers as well within a matrix organization. Analyzing 16 semistructured interviews from a company located at Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, I explain that both transformational and transactional together (mixed style) can enhance the coopetition between the managers. Finally, I conclude implications as well as thoroughfares for future research.