What is the difference between collaboration and cooperation?

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Both collaboration and cooperation are methods of group work, so both involve people working together to achieve a goal. However, there are some differences between them. Before delving into examples of possible activities, it is key to define these concepts, as their definitions may be different depending on their theoretical background one may use.

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On the one hand, in collaborative work all members of the group share the same goal and the progress to achieve it is the same for everyone, each person assuming a task within that progress. The issue with this method is that if one member of the group does not complete their part of the task, the other members will compensate and the final task will still be achieved. In collaborative work, interaction between the members would, then, be limited to exchanges which are strictly necessary to fulfill the final task.

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On the other hand, in cooperative work each member of the group has their own role and responsibility. This means that everyone’s tasks are interdependent and that they need to be carried out bearing in mind the rest of the tasks; in other words, this means that the success of the group depends on the joint and integrated efforts of everyone involved. In cooperative work, then, interaction within the members would be broad and expected to take place during all of the project’s development process.