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activities [24]. We must also highlight the key role of the process of creating knowledge
within cooperation. This knowledge is used for managing critical activities that require
complex competencies and high added value [5], [1].
When building cooperation management, it is necessary to take into account also
the specifics of the particular region [45]. The key motivation for starting to cooperate
is the existing market potential within a particular regional economy, as opposed to the
assistance via the tools of economic policy [16].
Every instance of cooperation is unique because of the differences between
industrial sectors and industries, number and size of cooperating companies, level of
cooperation and hierarchical networks between these organisations [27]. When using
cooperation management, it is needed to include also the process of control. Performance
of the cooperation will depend on the degree to which mutual goals are satisfied, based
on the criteria or company indications that are set in advance [29].
For building the cooperation management, organisational factors are very important.
These involve changes in the organisational structure to support cooperation, interest
and support of top management of the partner companies, openness to changes while
maintaining mutual goals of the partners [14], [44], [39].
Assuming that the abovementioned identified factors are taken care of within
a company, then its cooperation management will bring expected results, such as better
product quality, shorter delivery times and higher customer satisfaction [47].
4.2 Case study of cooperation management – New United Motor
Manufacturing, Inc.
4.2.1 Introduction to the topic
Cooperation is a basic feature of human society. It is often clearly visible in
a cooperative sphere. If it is intensive, based on positive experience and partnership, it
provides an opportunity to gain a competitive advantage for all parties concerned. We can
see this e.g. in the cooperation within supplier-customer relations. However, we know also
relatively frequent cases when even direct competitors get to such mutually advantageous
partnership cooperation. Clusters or a cluster principle is often spoken about here. Here
we can observe cooperation of direct competitors together with science, research and
universities in order to achieve common objectives, often competitiveness on foreign
and global markets is concerned. The entities involved remain competitors locally or in
smaller tasks. However, efficient cooperation of competitive entities does not have to
take place only within a cluster. Bilateral cooperation etc., for example, may be similarly
efficient as well.
This is the case of efficient cooperation of two competitive entities discussed in the
following papers, namely Toyota and General Motors. They represent direct rivals on
global markets. However, the cooperation they built in the past meant a competitive
advantage with strategic importance for both companies over the long term. The case
study is based on following references: [10], [13], [20], [28], [25], [32], [41], [42],
[46], [56].