textPrior studies have emphasized that structural attributes are crucial to simultaneously pursuing exploration and exploitation, yet our understanding of antecedents of ambidexterity is still limited. Structural differentiation can help ambidextrous organizations to maintain multiple inconsistent and conflicting demands; however, differentiated exploratory and exploitative activities need to mobilized, coordinated, integrated, and applied. Based on this idea, we delineate formal and informal senior team integration mechanisms (i.e. contingency rewards and social integration) and formal and informal organizational integration mechanisms (i.e. cross-functional interfaces and connectedness) and examine how they mediate the relationship between structural differentiation and ambidexterity. Overall, our findings suggest that the previously asserted direct effect of structural differentiation on ambidexterity operates through informal senior team (i.e. senior team social integration) and formal organizational (i.e. cross-functional interfaces) integration mechanisms. Through this richer explanation and empirical assessment, we contribute to a greater clarity and better understanding of how organizations may effectively pursue exploration and exploitation simultaneously to achieve ambidexterity.

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Structural Differentiation and Ambidexterity: The Mediating Role of Integration Mechanisms

Organizational ambidexterity evolves as an aggregated capability based on individuals' behaviors within a venture. But what happens in founding teams when the founders collaborate? This study aims to decipher individual exploitations/explorations' interpersonal connection to understand how the social interaction between founders translates into emergent team processes that either enable or hinder the team's capacity to become ambidextrous. The empirical setting is an exploratory case study of 15 teams, using data from 39 interviews and 12 observations. Our findings indicate that certain behaviors linked to ambidexterity reinforce the co-founders' behavior. The other founders often mimic the initial exploitation behavior. Nevertheless, individual behavior can also cause co-founders to exhibit switching responses, especially when responding to initial exploration behavior. These observed stimulation response patterns revealed opportunities and threats for the founding team. Our study contributes to the literature on ambidexterity, particularly to the connection of team and individual levels of analysis. 

How founding team members respond to exploration and exploitation behaviors by mimicking and switching

Middle managers are essential change agents in strategic renewal processes of increasingly complex organizations set in dynamic environments. Nevertheless, very few studies have investigated this c...

Reconciling and Mastering Middle Managers’ Role Conflicts

PurposeBoundary-spanning managers need to recognize, learn and implement external knowledge while balancing the conflicts emerging from new and existing knowledge. The authors' study explores how a paradox mindset (PM) and a learning focus [learning goal orientation (LGO)] promote two managerial capabilities: absorptive capacity (ACAP) and ambidexterity. The authors' study explores the inter-relationship between the mindsets and the capabilities required for innovative work behavior.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use survey data from 113 technology/product managers employed in boundary-spanning roles in a large Indian automotive equipment manufacturing firm. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) analysis and bootstrapping (using PROCESS MACRO) are used to test for direct and mediation effects respectively.FindingsBoth PM and LGO are found to affect individual ambidexterity (IA) via the mediation of individual absorptive capacity (IACAP). While IACAP partially mediates the relationship between PM and IA, there is full mediation in the case of LGO.Research limitations/implicationsThe authors focus on a sample of managers from a single, large Indian automotive firm. Although single case studies can help provide novel conceptual insights and to test theoretical relationships, future research needs to confirm the authors' findings in different types of firms.Practical implicationsThis study shows how a learning orientation and the ability to be energized from conflicts help boundary-spanning managers produce innovative outcomes.Originality/valueThe authors reveal fresh insights on how both ACAP and ambidexterity share the focus on learning and paradox management. The authors explicate how LGO and PM uniquely impact the critical capabilities of IACAP and IA for boundary-spanning managers.

Ambidexterity and absorptive capacity in boundary-spanning managers: role of paradox mindset and learning goal orientation

Purpose This study examines how team involvement in crisis decision-making within Chinese firms impacts the development of strategic ambidexterity in response strategies. It demonstrates how team-based decision-making fosters the integration of explorative and exploitative strategies, the moderating role of threat from the crisis and the influence of ambidexterity on ultimate decision quality. Design/methodology/approach A quantitative survey was conducted with 287 business executives and senior managers from various Chinese industries. Respondents reflected on recent crisis situations, evaluating team involvement, crisis-induced threat level and the characteristics of their crisis response strategies. Ordinary least squares (OLS) regression was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings Team involvement in crisis decision-making significantly supports the development of an ambidextrous recovery strategy that balances exploration and exploitation. This relationship strengthens under conditions of higher threat from the crisis, highlighting the increasing value of collaborative decision-making in severe crises. Ambidextrous strategies are linked to higher quality assessments of decision outcomes. Originality/value This study contributes to crisis management and strategic ambidexterity research by showing how team involvement fosters ambidextrous strategies, particularly under severe crisis-induced threat conditions. The findings offer practical insights for managers, emphasizing the importance of team-based decision-making and balanced strategic approaches during crises. The study provides a culturally specific view of these phenomena within the context of Chinese firms, extending theoretical understanding and offering actionable guidance for practitioners. 

Navigating storms together: team involvement in crisis decision-making and strategic ambidexterity in Chinese firms

It is increasingly recognised that managers play a central role in organisational ambidexterity. While some scholars have recently begun to explain the nature and antecedents of ambidextrous behaviour among managers, much remains to be learned about the micro-foundations of this behaviour. Adopting a people–situation interaction approach, this paper investigates the antecedents to managerial ambidexterity from both situational and individual difference considerations.,This study adopts a quantitative approach using a combination of survey and archival data from 305 managers.,The results indicate that learning goal orientation is positively related with managerial ambidexterity, whereas there is no significant relationship between functional experience breadth and managerial ambidexterity. In testing moderation effects, discretionary slack is found to positively moderate the association between learning goal orientation and ambidexterity and between functional experiences and ambidexterity.,This paper provides suggestions on employees selection and training, along with organisational support, in enacting managerial ambidexterity.,Guided by individual difference theory, this paper adds value to one’s understanding of the antecedents to managerial ambidexterity. It contributes to the ambidexterity literature from the micro-foundation perspective.

Understanding managerial ambidexterity: a people–situation interaction approach

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Understanding managerial ambidexterity: a people–situation interaction approach