Susan, I enjoyed reading your post!

You say, "Can collaborative behavior prevail?  Not only do I think it can, I believe it will be the hallmark of successful organizations of the future."

Thinking bigger than the workplace, I'd go even further and say that collaboration is an absolute imperative for the survival of the human race.  Until we, as a race, stop the daily hating and interpersonal violence that goes on everywhere, we will doom ourselves to 'mutually assured destruction'.  Sad to say that that expression did not go away with the de-escalation of the Cold War.

...and like you, I also think it CAN prevail.  I have immense hope for us humans and I get particularly excited when I'm running one of our leadership development programmes.  When I see leaders take up the challenge to extend themselves (not for the faint-hearted), I think that things are really changing for the better, one leader at at time.