Empirical research shows that co-opetition is a double-edged sword such that it can both help and hurt the achievement of desired performance outcomes. Despite the proliferation of co-opetitive alliances (i.e., simultaneous pursuit of competition and cooperation between firms), the field still lacks a theoretical framework that could help explain the dynamic mechanisms and conditions leading to these contradictory results. This thesis attempts to distill and integrate arguments from different literature streams of paradox, ambidexterity, and emotion to develop a framework in which experienced paradoxical tension (i.e., individual level cognitive difficulty and emotional ambivalence that pulls managers in opposite directions) serves as the main underlying mechanism through which co-opetition (i.e., an inter-firm level paradox) differentially affects performance in co-opetitive alliances. I further propose that firms' failure or success to achieve performance objectives in co- opetitive alliances is also contingent upon having a strong co-opetition capability (i.e., a multidimensional capability comprising analytical, emotional, and balancing dimensions). This thesis includes four appended papers that have used various methodologies such as anecdotes, exemplar cases, and particularly survey questionnaires to test some parts of the developed theory. The results from different papers show support for most of the tested relationships. Overall, the thesis contributes by proposing a much- need theory of experienced paradoxical tension that address the core issues related to the nature, source, consequence, and management of such tension in co-opetitive alliances. My theory has implications for research on organizational paradox and emotion, as well as for senior managers who are responsible for the success of co-opetitive alliances.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-04-29T13:30:54Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Gustavo Henrique Carretero.pdf: 690985 bytes, checksum: 42482f79754e5b5b16cf81848b4d2f94 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2011-11-28 / The study aimed to identify how categories individual and society they relate and how they are theorized in Freud s work, as well as reflect on such elements from the particular conception of: the Society of Critical Theory proposed by the first generation of the Frankfurt School, especially Adorno and Marcuse. To this end, they were selected three representative works of Freud s thinking about the relationship between individual and society, which were: Totem and Taboo , Psychology of Groups and Analysis of the Ego and Malaise in Civilization . This material was analyzed according to the contributions of Adorno and Marcuse. The study indicates that, for the frankfurtian authors, culture appears as a factor mediating the relationship between individual and society to Freud, however, the author defends the cultural processes at the expense of freedom and autonomy of individuals. Such aspect constitutes itself how one of the contradictions of Freud s though, given that psychoanalysis is guided in the liberal model. Such element turns out in critical of decay of such model of constitution of the individual in the transition from competitive capitalism to monopolist. At the same time, the works of Freud suggests that the contradictions of culture end up being subjective to the individual. In addition, the emotional ambivalence generated by the contradictions of culture, is manipulated to become in accession of the individual goals to social goals. Adorno and Marcuse realize that the Freudian model points to the liberal individual and seek to reinterpret psychoanalysis, each in its own way, to the light of the transformations of capitalism and new social cultural settings. It is considered the opinion of recent authors, suported by lacanians concepts which differ from the Frankfurtians, disagreeing that the structural conception of the subject in its relation to language, implies the denial of the historicity of social bonds in which they occur / A pesquisa teve como objetivo identificar como as categorias individuo e sociedade se relacionam e são teorizadas na obra freudiana, assim como refletir sobre tais elementos a partir de uma concepção particular: a da Teoria Critica da Sociedade proposta pela primeira geração da Escola de Frankfurt, especialmente Adorno e Marcuse. Para tanto, foram selecionadas três obras representativas do pensamento freudiano a respeito da relação entre individuo e sociedade, as quais foram: Totem e Tabu , Psicologia dos Grupos e Análise do Ego e Mal-Estar na Civilização . Tal material foi analisado de acordo com as contribuições de Adorno e Marcuse. O estudo indica que, para os autores frankfurtianos, a cultura aparece como elemento de mediação da relação entre individuo e sociedade para Freud, todavia, o autor defende os processos culturais em detrimento da liberdade e autonomia dos indivíduos. Tal aspecto se constitui como uma das contradições do pensamento freudiano, haja vista, que a psicanálise se pauta no modelo liberal. Tal elemento acaba por se tornar em critica da decadência de tal modelo de constituição do individuo na passagem do capitalismo concorrencial para o monopolista. Ao mesmo tempo, as obras de Freud sugerem que as contradições da cultura acabam por se tornar em subjetividade nos indivíduos. Alem disso, a ambivalência emocional, gerada pelas contradições da cultura, é manipulada para se tornar em adesão das metas individuais ás sociais. Adorno e Marcuse percebem que o modelo freudiano aponta para o individuo liberal e procuram reinterpretar a psicanálise, cada um á sua maneira, á luz das transformações do capitalismo e das novas configurações sociais e culturais. Registra-se a opinião de autores recentes, sustentados pelas concepções lacanianas, que divergem dos frankfurtianos, ao discordarem que a concepção estrutural do sujeito, em sua relação com a Linguagem, implique na nega. o da historicidade dos laços sociais em que eles se inserem

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