Cooperating for the Future: A Case Study of the Ashkelon Desalination Plant

The purpose of this thesis was to determine when it could be advantageous for two competing technology companies to cooperate with one another. To answer this question, an illustrative case study of the Ashkelon desalination plant was analyzed against traditional theories and, once those theories were proven to be insufficient, a more refined contingency approach of cooperating for the future was proposed. This thesis' study revealed that a competing technological company can cooperate with a competitor, if their collaboration promises to result in a breakthrough technology or advancement for an emerging market. In addition to the introduction of a contingency approach that is in favor of technological competitors cooperating, the final chapter also provided managerial advice to help understand and apply the cooperating for the future approach.