A review and delineation of cooperation and coordination in marketing channels

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to delineate the similarities and distinctions between cooperation and coordinate and to present distinctive definitions for each. Design/methodology/approach – An extensive review of the extant literature was conducted to examine the precedents with regards to the conceptual domains of cooperation and coordination. Findings – This paper concludes that cooperation is an orientation that one firm has about working with another organization; whereas, coordination are joint activities. This is reflected in the definitions presented in this paper. Originality/value – Several researchers and practitioners alike view cooperation and coordination as synonymous. However, an organization's cooperative orientation about working with another organization does not inherently lead to coordination. This paper points out that it is necessary to consider cooperation and coordination as two separate but related issues in managing interorganizational relationships.