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Journal ArticleDOI

Organizing for Ambidexterity: A Paradox-based Typology of Ambidexterity-related Organizational States

01 Dec 2015-Bar. Brazilian Administration Review (Graduação e Pesquisa em Administração - ANPAD)-Vol. 12, Iss: 4, pp 365-383
TL;DR: In this article, the authors address the question of how organizations become ambidextrous over time, identifying requirements for organizations to become amenable, understanding how ambidexterity may emerge as an organizational property, as well as exploring likely connections of the ambideXterity property and organizing a firm's activities and work.
Abstract: This paper addresses the question of how organizations become ambidextrous over time, identifying requirements for organizations to become ambidextrous, understanding how ambidexterity may emerge as an organizational property, as well as exploring likely connections of the ambidexterity property and organizing a firm's activities and work. Conceptualizing the exploration-exploitation relationship as a paradoxical one, we advance two necessary conditions for organizing for ambidexterity: fostering paradox-coping tactics and precluding paradox-related traps. The interplay of these two conditions gives rise to a typology of four ambidexterity-related organizational states: ambidexterity-lacking organizations, monolithic organizations, short-term ambidextrous organizations and long-term ambidextrous organizations. The paper identifies each state's distinct strengths and challenges concerning organizing for ambidexterity, and discusses theoretical, practical and policy-making implications.

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Citations
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01 Jan 2008
TL;DR: In this article, the authors argue that rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them, and describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative.
Abstract: What makes organizations so similar? We contend that the engine of rationalization and bureaucratization has moved from the competitive marketplace to the state and the professions. Once a set of organizations emerges as a field, a paradox arises: rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them. We describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative—leading to this outcome. We then specify hypotheses about the impact of resource centralization and dependency, goal ambiguity and technical uncertainty, and professionalization and structuration on isomorphic change. Finally, we suggest implications for theories of organizations and social change.

2,134 citations

Dissertation
01 Dec 2017
TL;DR: In this article, the authors studied the slack -performance relationship under different external environments by taking advantage of the financial crisis of 2008-09, which provides a natural experiment opportunity for the study.
Abstract: This thesis studied the slack - performance relationship under different external environments by taking advantage of the financial crisis of 2008-09, which provides a natural experiment opportunity for the study. Besides the management of slack, adaptation profiles are also examined by building the two-stage adaptation process model in concordance with different period of financial crisis. Based on empirical analysis and theoretical research, this thesis finds that slack management impacts the firms' performance as well as firms' adaptation to respond to financial crisis. Another novelty of this thesis is to examine ambidexterity in detail by employing constructs of alignment and adaptability from the perspective of organizational slack. Thesis tries to evidence that European manufacturing firms have various adaptation processes, profiles and risk-taking behaviors with varying performance implications based on their slack management in response to financial crisis. To that end, this study investigates empirically, publicly-held 671 western European manufacturing firms, by comparatively examining their organizational slack management and performance characteristics before, during and after the recent financial crisis period 2007-8 . This research employs longitudinal panel data. The data was drawn from Thomson one banker database for the period of2004-2013.

43 citations


Cites background from "Organizing for Ambidexterity: A Par..."

  • ...(Karrer and Fleck, 2015) Theoretical N/A Spatial separation, in turn, enables simultaneous exploration and exploitation activities in the organization....

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  • ...Sequential ambidexterity enables firms to ease the tensions using temporal separations through implementing both alignment and adaptability in sequence (Josephson et al., 2015, Karrer and Fleck, 2015, Patel et al., 2013b, Veider and Matzler, 2015)....

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  • ...86 Some relevant references are (Andriopoulos and Lewis, 2009, Josephson et al., 2015, Karrer and Fleck, 2015, Papachroni et al., 2015, Van de Ven, 1992)....

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  • ...However, stable periods are occasionally interrupted by sudden environmental changes, and the equilibrium is punctuated (Bednarek et al., 2016, Birkinshaw and Gupta, 2013, Karrer and Fleck, 2015, Venkatraman et al., 2007)....

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  • ...The first research finding is associated with resource ambidexterity is a process (Karrer and Fleck, 2015)....

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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: O objetivo do trabalho foi examinar como a congruência entre dualidades afeta o desempenho, nos testamos hipóteses relacionadas todos os dois fatores da ambidestria.
Abstract: The literature presents some shortcomings in the use of current skills, resources, and capabilities (exploitation) with the exploration of new competencies to achieve performance. Little is known about how the dimensions of exploitation and exploration should be analyzed; whether separately, by continuum, in sequence, through interactive or (in) congruence. Given the lack of empirical evidence of how these two dimensions can elucidate performance, the problem that arises is: How can the ambidextrous congruence boost performance? The purpose of the paper was to examine how the congruence between dualities affects organizational performance. Through a survey of 227 software companies, we tested hypotheses related to the congruence and interaction of the two ambidextrous factors. The results showed that (a) the dimensions of exploration and exploitation, average ambidexterity, and ambidexterity by means of a continuum explain the performance; (b) exploitation vs. exploration interaction is not related to the organization’s result; and (c) the convergence of both dimensions increases the organizational result. The findings are consistent with the thesis of Gibson and Birkinshaw (2004) and reject the thesis of Gupta, Smith and Shalley (2006) and Cao, Gedajlovic and Zhang (2009).

14 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
01 Aug 2005
TL;DR: A historical comparative analysis of General Electric and Westinghouse over twelve decades suggests that the two firms differed in several respects despite their comparable capabilities in the develo....
Abstract: Historical comparative analysis of General Electric and Westinghouse over twelve decades suggests that the two firms differed in several respects despite their comparable capabilities in the develo...

12 citations

Dissertation
01 Jan 2018
TL;DR: In this article, the authors present a list of ABBREVIATIONS, FIGURES, TABLES, and CHAPTER 1 of the book "ChAPTER One" (Ch. 1).
Abstract: ............................................................................................................................. iv LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS .................................................................................................... v LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................. xi LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................... xii CHAPTER ONE ........................................................................................................................

10 citations


Cites background from "Organizing for Ambidexterity: A Par..."

  • ...Each conceptualisation offers different viewpoints on the environment of the relationship between the limits, bringing about suggestions concerning the way must manage with each tension (Karrer & Fleck, 2015:369)....

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References
More filters
Book ChapterDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the link between firm resources and sustained competitive advantage and analyzed the potential of several firm resources for generating sustained competitive advantages, including value, rareness, imitability, and substitutability.

46,648 citations


"Organizing for Ambidexterity: A Par..." refers background in this paper

  • ...The isomorphism-heterogeneity tension nurtures the debate between two conceptual perspectives: the resource-based view (Barney, 1991; Peteraf, 2003) and institutionalism (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983)....

    [...]

Book ChapterDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors argue that rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them, and describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative.
Abstract: What makes organizations so similar? We contend that the engine of rationalization and bureaucratization has moved from the competitive marketplace to the state and the professions. Once a set of organizations emerges as a field, a paradox arises: rational actors make their organizations increasingly similar as they try to change them. We describe three isomorphic processes-coercive, mimetic, and normative—leading to this outcome. We then specify hypotheses about the impact of resource centralization and dependency, goal ambiguity and technical uncertainty, and professionalization and structuration on isomorphic change. Finally, we suggest implications for theories of organizations and social change.

32,981 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors consider the relation between the exploration of new possibilities and the exploitation of old certainties in organizational learning and examine some complications in allocating resources between the two, particularly those introduced by the distribution of costs and benefits across time and space.
Abstract: This paper considers the relation between the exploration of new possibilities and the exploitation of old certainties in organizational learning. It examines some complications in allocating resources between the two, particularly those introduced by the distribution of costs and benefits across time and space, and the effects of ecological interaction. Two general situations involving the development and use of knowledge in organizations are modeled. The first is the case of mutual learning between members of an organization and an organizational code. The second is the case of learning and competitive advantage in competition for primacy. The paper develops an argument that adaptive processes, by refining exploitation more rapidly than exploration, are likely to become effective in the short run but self-destructive in the long run. The possibility that certain common organizational practices ameliorate that tendency is assessed.

16,377 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the underlying economics of the resource-based view of competitive advantage is elucidated, and existing perspectives are integrated into a parsimonious model of resources and firm performance.
Abstract: This paper elucidates the underlying economics of the resource-based view of competitive advantage and integrates existing perspectives into a parsimonious model of resources and firm performance. The essence of this model is that four conditions underlie sustained competitive advantage, all of which must be met. These include superior resources (heterogeneity within an industry), ex post limits to competition, imperfect resource mobility, and ex ante limits to competition. In the concluding section, applications of the model for both single business strategy and corporate strategy are discussed.

10,149 citations


"Organizing for Ambidexterity: A Par..." refers background in this paper

  • ...…Discrete Organization vs Embedded Organization Brandenburger and Nablebuff (1995) Heterogeneity Isomorsphism Resource-Based View vs Institutionalism Peteraf (2003), Dimaggio and Powell (1983) Strategy Purpose Organizational Purpose Optimization Satisfaction Shareholder Value vs Stakeholder…...

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  • ...PERSPECTIVES SELECTED REFERENCE Strategy Process Strategy Formation Deliberate Emergent Strategic Planning vs Strategic Incrementalism Mintzberg and Waters (1985) Strategic Chance Revolution Evolution Discontinuous Renewal vs Continuous Renewal Christensen and Raynor (2013) Strategy Content Firm Level Explore Exploit Organizational Ambidexterity March (1991) Commitment Flexibility Path Dependence, Strategy As Real Options Ghemawat (1991) Industry Level Competition Collaboration Discrete Organization vs Embedded Organization Brandenburger and Nablebuff (1995) Heterogeneity Isomorsphism Resource-Based View vs Institutionalism Peteraf (2003), Dimaggio and Powell (1983) Strategy Purpose Organizational Purpose Optimization Satisfaction Shareholder Value vs Stakeholder Value Doyle (1994) Note....

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  • ...The isomorphism-heterogeneity tension nurtures the debate between two conceptual perspectives: the resource-based view (Barney, 1991; Peteraf, 2003) and institutionalism (DiMaggio & Powell, 1983)....

    [...]