The efficacy of competition in workplace, educational settings and in everyday life has for long been a subject of debate. Although there are instances where being competitive is rewarding, being cooperative and uncompetitive can be more fruitful in certain situations.
On the one hand, a sense of competition among peers can go a long way. Competition, if fair, can help people focus predominantly on their individual skill, and highlight their weaknesses and strengths. By developing a sense of competition, one would constantly compare themselves with their peers, trying to comprehend and even mimic the positive characteristics and qualities of a member that seems to have a competitive edge over others in a group. For instance, a newly-employed staff might find it useful to compare and contrast themselves with a senior, more experienced staff. By concentrating on what makes that old-timer a prosperous employee, the newcomer could hone their skills and bring out the best in themselves.
On the other hand, there are times when being competitive in any way might be frowned upon, and a sense of cooperation would be much more appreciated. By being cooperative, members of a group – be it in an educational setting or a work-related one – can help one another to achieve a common objective. A member feeling insecure and inexperienced in one field might seek assistance from a more experienced member, and the members who are considered more knowledgeable feel the urge to compensate this notion of reciprocity. A case in point could be a groupwork laboratory project in an educational setting. Each individual within the group might have weaknesses and strength points that could be complemented by other members.
Taking everything into consideration, it can be concluded that in certain situations competitiveness can have advantages over cooperativeness, and in some cases, it is the other way around. Defining which would be a suitable approach in a certain setting is hugely dictated by the proficiency of individuals and their objective.