TITLE:
The Philosophical Foundations of the Emergence and Development of the Concept of Inter-Organizational Cooperation Practices: Literary Review
AUTHORS:
Hakeem Khalill Ibraheem, Hussam Ali Mhaibes
KEYWORDS:
Philosophy of Cooperation, Inter-Organizational Cooperation, Stages of Cooperation Development
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Social Sciences,
Vol.13 No.8,
August
22,
2025
ABSTRACT: This paper presents a literature review on the concept of cooperation, tracing its development through three stages: biological/genetic, societal, and internal. Using a descriptive and historical analysis of the available literature, the study argues that cooperation is an essential process for addressing resource scarcity and ensuring sustainability. The review concludes that, despite the importance of cooperation, it lacks a single, agreed-upon definition within the organizational context. This is largely due to the diversity of fields and objectives pursued by previous studies, the differing perspectives of researchers, and the diversity of their cultures. Furthermore, inter-organizational cooperation goes through three evolutionary stages, beginning with the individual’s biological makeup, which includes genetic genes that motivate and encourage individuals toward responsibility toward others and society. This, in turn, enhances society’s ability to cooperate with organizations and improves its potential and collaborative capabilities with other organizations, or vice versa, its need for community cooperation or cooperation with other organizations.