Barriers to Developing Coopetition Strategy in the Healthcare Supply Chain: A Mixed-Methods Study
Subject Areas : Health Management Services
Esmaeil Mazroui Nasrabadi
1
,
Zahra Sadeqi-Arani
2
,
Amin Habibirad
3
1 - Assistant Professor, Department of management and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Financial Science, Management and Entrepreneurship, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of management and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Financial Science, Management and Entrepreneurship, University of Kashan, Kashan, Iran
3 - Department of Industrial Management and Entrepreneurship, Faculty of Humanities, Shahed University, Tehran, Iran
Keywords: Barriers to coopetition Development, Healthcare Supply Chain, Thematic Analysis, Ordinal Priority Approach (OPA).,
Abstract :
Introduction: The critical importance of health in any society necessitates that healthcare institutions and organizations remain consistently effective and efficient in meeting customer demands. High costs associated with procuring equipment and establishing infrastructure have driven these entities toward coopetition (collaboration with competitors). Coopetition is a strategic approach that has gained significant attention in healthcare supply chains. While coopetition has also become prevalent in Iran, its implementation faces various barriers that must be identify and addressed. This study focuses on identifying and ranking these barriers.
Methodology: This study conducted in a mixed-method, two-stage design. In the first stage of the research, coopetition barriers identified using a qualitative approach of thematic analysis and semi-structured interviews, and in the second stage, these barriers ranked using an ordinal priority approach (OPA). The statistical population and participants of both stages were experts of health supply chain from Kashan, Aran, and Bidgol counties, who selected with a purposeful approach. MAXQDA and Excel software used for the first and second stage, respectively.
Results: The first phase revealed 42 barriers, which categorized into 12 main groups. In the second phase, these barriers ranked. The barriers, in order of importance, are as follows: legal barriers, informational barriers, lack of competitor knowledge, intellectual property issues, competitive barriers, negative history, cultural barriers, financial and cost-related issues, fear of losing control in coopetition, lack of complementarity, weak managerial attitudes, and lack of mutual understanding.
Conclusion: To overcome these barriers, several measures should be considered including revising macro-level policies, conducting joint sessions between competitors, strengthening informational infrastructure for data sharing and activity monitoring, optimizing processes, and employing capable managers.
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