When colleagues compete outside the firm

Collaboration among employees is the bedrock of an organization, but we suggest that it can be undermined by their extra‐organizational affilia- tions. We point to the hidden but common constella- tion of two coworkers who are also affiliated with organizations that compete with one another. We hypothesize that such colleagues collaborate less with one another when performing on behalf of their shared employer. Using data from professional soccer, we provide empirical evidence. We outline implications for research on extra‐organizational affiliations, intra- organizational collaboration, competition and rivalry, and social networks.