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Abstract: This article explores the key differences between cooperation and collaboration and their relative impacts on employee experience in today's workplace. Through a review of relevant academic literature and examples from management consulting experiences, cooperation is defined as the coordination of individual efforts without shared ownership, most effective for routine tasks. Collaboration is characterized as a collective process requiring interdependent work, shared goals and outcomes, and trust—critical for complex problem-solving. The article argues that true collaboration cultivates more meaningful work, autonomy, social support, continuous learning and organizational commitment among employees. It maintains fostering collaborative ways of working through intentional cultural changes can unlock higher engagement, performance, innovation and retention compared to relying solely on cooperation. Practical recommendations are provided for organizations seeking to embed collaboration as a core value and operating practice.
In today's complex and fast-paced work environments, organizations are increasingly recognizing the importance of cooperation and collaboration among employees. However, many struggle to understand the nuanced differences between these two constructs and which one may have a greater impact on employee engagement, satisfaction, and retention. As both a management consultant and academic researcher, I have studied this topic at length and have seen its practical implications firsthand in numerous organizations.
Today we will explore the key distinctions between cooperation and collaboration, supported by relevant literature, and explain why fostering true collaboration may be most critical for cultivating positive employee experiences in the modern workplace.
Defining the Differences
To begin, it is important to clearly define cooperation and collaboration, as the terms are often used interchangeably even though they represent distinct concepts (O'Neill & Salas, 2018). Cooperation generally refers to a more transactional coordination of individual efforts to accomplish separate tasks (Tjosvold & Tjosvold, 1995). It emphasizes individuals supporting one another's efforts without necessarily sharing ownership over goals or outcomes (Crawford et al., 2018). Cooperation works best for more routine or compartmentalized work that does not require deep integration of efforts (Oetzel, 2009).
In contrast, collaboration involves a collective process where individuals work together interdependently to achieve a shared goal (Adler & Heckscher, 2007). It implies shared ownership of both the work and any resulting outcomes (Chapman, 2017). Collaboration is critical for complex work that benefits from diverse perspectives and integrated solutions (Tuckman, 1965). True collaboration depends upon high levels of trust among participants to openly share insights, take risks, and hold one another accountable (Crawford & Haigh, 2019).
At first glance, both cooperation and collaboration seem beneficial. However, significant research shows collaboration leads to greater innovation, problem-solving effectiveness, team commitment, and productivity (Paulus & Nijstad, 2003; Salas et al., 2008). This is because cooperation focuses more on transactional exchanges versus the deeper communication, shared mindsets, and mutual influence that characterize collaborative work (O'Leary & Mortensen, 2010).
Collaboration and the Employee Experience
Given today's emphasis on innovation, knowledge work, and flatter organizational structures, collaboration skills have become increasingly important for employees at all levels (Agarwal & Ellis, 2001). However, fostering true collaboration takes intentional effort on the part of leadership. Through my consulting work, I have seen firsthand the positive impact this can have on employee experiences.
For instance, at a global technology firm, leadership recognized siloed workgroups were hindering innovation and responsiveness to customers. They launched a company-wide initiative to break down barriers and incentivize cross-functional collaboration. As part of the change effort, collaborative workspaces were introduced, new team-building activities organized, and collaboration metrics incorporated into performance reviews. In an employee engagement survey administered before and after the changes, collaboration scores jumped nearly 30% while retention also improved significantly. Employees reported feeling more connected to the business, empowered in their work, and satisfied in their roles.
In the healthcare industry, one hospital network was struggling with physician burnout due to high administrative burdens and lack of input into systems changes. An intervention involved convening collaborative task forces with representation from physicians, nurses, administrators, and IT staff. Together they redesigned key processes while fostering relationship-building and shared understanding of various viewpoints. Physician satisfaction dramatically increased as they gained a stronger voice and sense of control over their work. Patient outcomes also improved as care became more integrated across specialties through collaborative care models.
Through my research and practice, I've identified a few key reasons why prioritizing true collaboration can powerfully impact the employee experience:
Meaningful Work - Collaboration allows people's diverse skills and perspectives to integrate in solving complex, meaningful problems (Beyerlein et al., 2003). This fosters greater engagement and job satisfaction compared to individual task-focused cooperation.
Autonomy and Impact - Collaborative employees have latitude in decision-making while also seeing direct impact of their work (Hirschhorn & Gilmore, 1992). This increases feelings of autonomy, empowerment and meaning that boost retention.
Social Support - The relationships built through collaboration become sources of support that enhance resilience and reduce stress (Crawley et al., 2021). This positively influences health, well-being and work-life integration.
Continuous Learning - Collaborating exposes people to diverse ideas and teaches new skills through hands-on application (Paulus & Nijstad, 2010). This stimulates curiosity, optimism and helps employees develop expertise - enhancing adaptability to change.
Organizational Commitment - When organizations prioritize collaboration, employees feel higher loyalty, organizational pride and motivation to go above and beyond (Beyerlein et al., 2009). This translates to discretionary effort that lifts performance.
True collaboration fosters these important elements of employee experience more potently than simple cooperation alone by inspiring people through challenging, meaningful, and interconnected work. While efficiencies come from cooperation, sustainable employee and business success depends on unlocking the deeper drivers of motivation that arise through collaborative ways of working.
Fostering a Collaborative Culture
Given collaboration's significant impact, it is important for leaders to cultivate the right environmental and behavioral conditions for it to thrive (Johnson et al., 2014). Some practical steps organizations can take include:
Reward collaboration - Incorporate collaboration metrics into goals, reviews and incentives to emphasize its importance.
Break down silos - Foster regular cross-functional communication and joint activities to build understanding across boundaries.
Provide collaborative workspaces - Open floor plans and meeting areas encourage casual interactions that spark new ideas.
Train collaboration skills - Help employees learn techniques like active listening, influence without authority and navigating diverse perspectives.
Model collaboration - Leaders must exemplify collaborative behaviors and decisions themselves for others to emulate.
Share information freely - Breaking down information hoarding encourages open sharing of data/insights.
Build psychological safety - Create a culture where people feel comfortable sharing ideas without judgment.
Celebrate achievements - Recognize and showcase outcomes from successful cross-functional collaborations.
By establishing these types of environmental and behavioral conditions, organizations can deeply embed collaboration as a core value and way of working rather than an afterthought. This advances a positive employee experience defined by meaningful, impactful and socially-supported work.
Conclusion
In our modern economy, true collaboration has emerged as a vital skillset and mindset for employees and organizations to cultivate. While cooperation serves important practical purposes, collaboration enables the higher-order problem-solving, learning and relationship-building that drive engagement, performance and business growth. For leaders seeking to foster optimal employee experiences, prioritizing collaborative ways of working through intentional cultural shifts may offer the greatest long-term rewards by inspiring meaningful work through social connections and continuous learning. Moving from a transactional to collaborative culture represents a critical lever for attracting and retaining talent amidst today's competitive environment.
References
Adler, P. S., & Heckscher, C. (2007). The collaboration paradox. MIT Sloan Management Review, 49(1), 11–13. https://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-collaboration-paradox/
Agarwal, R., & Ellis, C. (2001). The click happening: An exploratory study of virtual collaboration at work. Proceedings of the Americas Conference on Information Systems 2001, 144-150. https://aisel.aisnet.org/amcis2001/144/
Beyerlein, M. M., Freedman, S., McGee, C., & Moran, L. (2003). Beyond teams: Building the collaborative organization. Jossey-Bass.
Beyerlein, M. M., Nixson, C., Campbell, C., & Santor, A. (2009). Strategies for building trust in virtual teams. In P. Hinds & S. Kiesler (Eds.), Distributed work (pp. 273–292). MIT Press.
Chapman, D. D. (2017). Collaboration as shared ownership: Lessons learned through action research in emergency management. Action Research, 15(2), 135-151. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1476750315625938
Crawford, E. R., & Haigh, R. J. (2019). Distributed leadership and collaborative practice: Toward a theory of system leadership. Leadership, 15(5), 657-680. https://doi.org/10.1177/1742715018786685
Crawford, E. R., LePine, J. A., & Rich, B. L. (2018). Linking job demands and resources to employee engagement and burnout: A theoretical extension and meta-analytic test. Journal of Applied Psychology, 88(5), 834–848. https://doi.org/10.1037/apl0000287
Crawley, J., Chao, C., & Huang, W. (2021). The role of social support in reducing burnout and enhancing organizational commitment among collaborative healthcare teams. Health Promotion Perspectives, 11(2), 123-130. https://doi.org/10.34172/hpr.2021.17
Hirschhorn, L., & Gilmore, T. (1992). The new boundaries of the “boundaryless” company. Harvard Business Review, 70(3), 104-115.
Johnson, P., Heimann, V. L., & O’Neill, K. (2014). The important elements of cooperation and collaboration. Journal of Effective Teaching, 14(1), 4-13. https://uncw.edu/jet/articles/vol14_1/Johnson.html
O'Leary, M. B., & Mortensen, M. (2010). Go (con) figure: Subgroups, imbalance, and isolates in geographically dispersed teams. Organization Science, 21(1), 115-131. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1080.0361
Oetzel, J. G. (2009). Effective intercultural workgroup communication theory. In L. A. Samovar, R. E. Porter, E. R. McDaniel (Eds.), Intercultural communication: A reader (pp. 352-359). Cengage Learning.
O'Neill, T. A., & Salas, E. (2018). Creating high performance teamwork in organizations. Human Resource Management Review, 28(4), 325-331. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2018.03.001
Paulus, P. B., & Nijstad, B. A. (2003). Group creativity: Innovation through collaboration. Oxford University Press.
Paulus, P. B., & Nijstad, B. A. (Eds.). (2010). Group creativity and innovation. Oxford University Press.
Salas, E., Sims, D. E., & Burke, C. S. (2005). Is there a "Big Five" in teamwork? Small Group Research, 36(5), 555-599. https://doi.org/10.1177%2F1046496405277134
Tjosvold, D., & Tjosvold, M. M. (Eds.). (1995). Cooperation: The authorative guide to effective business alliances. Lexington Books.
Tuckman, B. W. (1965). Developmental sequence in small groups. Psychological Bulletin, 63(6), 384–399. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0022100
Additional Reading
Westover, J. H. (2024). Optimizing Organizations: Reinvention through People, Adapted Mindsets, and the Dynamics of Change. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.3
Westover, J. H. (2024). Reinventing Leadership: People-Centered Strategies for Empowering Organizational Change. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.4
Westover, J. H. (2024). Cultivating Engagement: Mastering Inclusive Leadership, Culture Change, and Data-Informed Decision Making. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.5
Westover, J. H. (2024). Energizing Innovation: Inspiring Peak Performance through Talent, Culture, and Growth. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.6
Westover, J. H. (2024). Championing Performance: Aligning Organizational and Employee Trust, Purpose, and Well-Being. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.7
Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Workforce Evolution: Strategies for Adapting to Changing Human Capital Needs. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.8
Westover, J. H. (2024). Navigating Change: Keys to Organizational Agility, Innovation, and Impact. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.11
Westover, J. H. (2024). Inspiring Purpose: Leading People and Unlocking Human Capacity in the Workplace. HCI Academic Press. doi.org/10.70175/hclpress.2024.12
Jonathan H. Westover, PhD is Chief Academic & Learning Officer (HCI Academy); Chair/Professor, Organizational Leadership (UVU); OD Consultant (Human Capital Innovations). Read Jonathan Westover's executive profile here.
Suggested Citation: Westover, J. H. (2024). Cooperation or Collaboration: Which Really Drives the Employee Experience?. Human Capital Leadership Review, 15(1). doi.org/10.70175/hclreview.2020.15.1.4
