If we look at the organizational world, we find that, as in nature, collaboration is often as
common as competition. Organizations in the same industry frequently get together under the
umbrella of trade and professional associations to collaborate in relation to shared interests.
Formal and informal cartels for price fixing, agreements regarding areas of competition and
market sharing, and the joint sponsorship of lobbies designed to influence government
legislation are obvious examples. The Tobacco Trust, which was established by leading U.S.
tobacco companies to help shape research on the link between cancer and smoking, presents
a particularly striking example of cooperation between firms that are normally engaged in
fierce competition.