Coopetition relations, suppliers' effectuation, and manufacturers' green management: Evidence from China

Abstract The coopetition perspective proposes that a firm's value creation relies on its ability to manage both cooperation and competition in supply chains. Recent theorizing in green supply chain management suggests that critical sustainability management practices may be affected by the coopetition relations between manufacturers and suppliers. We extend to study the coopetition perspective by verifying whether coopetition relations between manufacturers and suppliers, such as coopetition, cognitive, and affective conflict caused by competition, and the combination between cooperation and cognitive/affective conflict, impact a firm's ability and motivation to implement green management (GM). Furthermore, the coopetition perspective suggests that the effects of coopetition relations between two parties are enhanced when the coopetition relations match the salient partner's characteristics, a phenomenon regarded as coopetition fit. As a test of this idea, we prove how the role of coopetition relations is differently influenced by one such partner's characteristics, that is, the supplier's decision‐making logic. Our findings indicate that coopetition relations between manufacturers and suppliers have different effects on manufacturing firms' GM. We also have evidence that these relationships are moderated by effectuation.