Résumé
This study aims to complement knowledge about management of coopetitive networks of SMEs. Three main principles highlighted in past studies are essential to manage coopetitive relationships: organizational separation, individual integration of the coopetitive paradox and co-management. These principles were only elaborated to manage coopetition between big firms. In this study, we ask the relevance of these three principles to manage and sustain coopetition between SMEs successfully. In so doing, we mobilize the case study methodology in a historical perspective. We study the case of maritime trade during roman Antiquity. Our results show that the three management principles of coopetition are relevant to manage coopetitive networks of SMEs successfully. However, the application of the co-management principle takes specific forms in SMEs. It takes the form of three specific managerial practices: auto-selection of members, peer monitoring and joint responsibility. These three combined practices create a social pressure on the members of the coopetitive network, which reduce risks of opportunistic acts and misunderstanding. Reduction of these risks between coopetitors leads to the sustainability of coopetition.