Effect of joint learning on product innovativeness: the moderating role of goodwill trust and destructive conflict in coopetition

Prior literature has established the benefits of ‘coopetition’ in facilitating product innovation, but has yet to identify the relevant inter-partner learning mechanisms in coopetitive product innovation. Drawing on inter-partner learning theory and the coopetition framework, the present study examines the relationship between joint learning and product innovativeness in coopetition, and the contingency effect of perceived goodwill trust and destructive conflict on this relationship. Survey data, collected from 282 coopetition alliances in China, indicated that joint learning positively relates to product innovation in coopetition. Moreover, goodwill trust is observed to strengthen the relationship between joint learning and coopetitive product innovativeness, whereas destructive conflict is seen to act as an inverted U-shaped moderator to the relationship. These findings provide novel insights toward understanding how product innovation can be generated and shaped in coopetitive inter-partner relationships.