Rivalry in Research: The Effect of Competition on Collaboration and Innovation
Oct. 15, 2024—Everyone wants to be the best at what they do—publish the most research, make the best products, or create the most groundbreaking innovations. This competitive spirit can help drive organizations to succeed, but it can also deter innovation and collaboration. How can we balance the desire to be the best with the openness that allows new ideas to thrive, and how does competition impact university-industry partnerships?
Benefits and challenges to competition
The world is obsessed with numbers; look to the Fortune 500, the U.S. News & World Report ranking of the best universities, or even the National Science Foundation’s data on R&D expenditures. Benchmarking among organizations uncovers strengths and areas for improvement. Being at or near the top in public rankings increases visibility, providing opportunities to bring more funding and better talent to universities and companies. This applies more broadly to countries that seek to rank at the top in research and innovation (see this previous 3-Minute Read on global competition). Competition can also drive innovation by forcing organizations to consider new approaches to keep up with those with the edge. In these ways, competition is a healthy incentive to pursue innovation and impact.
However, competition can breed isolation. Organizations with special knowledge, products, or capabilities may be less willing to share with others to maintain their advantage. Competition can also become a hindrance if beating out rivals overshadows activities and collaborations that could support mutual goals and missions.
Impact on collaborations
Some organizations have looked to foster competition between internal teams to help increase productivity and innovative ideas. A study in the Wall Street Journal explored how teams fared in a competitive environment and found that the teams that shared less with others were less innovative overall. While the individuals put in more hours and worked more closely with teammates, they weren’t generating new ideas. Teams that excelled at innovation chose to share information, which fueled new ideas and approaches.
The same can be true for organizations on a larger scale. While competition encourages organizations to strive for greatness, focusing too much on winning and maintaining a competitive edge can hurt the collaborative spirit that inspires new ideas and approaches. This spirit is the key to success in U-I partnerships, so it must be balanced with competitive drive. In research collaborations, setting clear boundaries for intellectual property and focusing on pre-competitive research can set the stage for knowledge-sharing without compromising a competitive edge. Leveraging consortia models or working toward shared, overarching goals can help facilitate multi-organizational efforts that don’t threaten an individual organization’s success. As always, open communication and transparency in goals and priorities will help the collaboration thrive.
Why it matters
Competition is an important factor in a country’s economy, contributing to new ideas and approaches that drive progress. However, it must be balanced with collaboration to seed innovation to address shared challenges. Balancing competition with openness to partnership ensures organizations can reap benefits from both in the pursuit of groundbreaking research.
We want to hear from you. How does your organization approach competition? Let us know on LinkedIn.