The Psychology of Rivalry: A Relationally Dependent Analysis of Competition

We investigate the psychological phenomenon of rivalry and propose that competition is inherently relational, thus extending the literatures on competition between individuals, groups, and firms. Specifically, we argue that competitors’ relationships, determined by their proximity, attributes, and prior competitive interactions, influence the subjective intensity of rivalry between them, which in turn affects their competitive behavior. Initial tests in NCAA basketball support these ideas, indicating that teams’ similarity and interaction histories systematically predict rivalry, and that rivalry may affect team members’ motivation and performance. Implications for the management of employees, as well as for organizations’ competitive strategies, are significant.