Organizational Ambidexterity: Balancing Exploitation and Exploration for Sustained Performance

Organizational ambidexterity has emerged as a new research paradigm in organization theory, yet several issues fundamental to this debate remain controversial. We explore four central tensions here: Should organizations achieve ambidexterity through differentiation or through integration? Does ambid...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Organization science (Providence, R.I.) R.I.), 2009-07, Vol.20 (4), p.685-695
Main Authors: Raisch, Sebastian, Birkinshaw, Julian, Probst, Gilbert, Tushman, Michael L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Alliances
ambidexterity
Analysis
Business innovation
Business management
Business metrics
Business structures
change
Conceptualization
Corporate strategies
Creative ability
Design
Exploitation
exploration
Functional laterality
Innovation
Logistics
Management
Middle management
organization design
Organization development
Organization theory
Paradoxes
Quality circles
Social change
Social interaction
Social networks
Social psychology
Studies
Technological innovation
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Summary:Organizational ambidexterity has emerged as a new research paradigm in organization theory, yet several issues fundamental to this debate remain controversial. We explore four central tensions here: Should organizations achieve ambidexterity through differentiation or through integration? Does ambidexterity occur at the individual or organizational level? Must organizations take a static or dynamic perspective on ambidexterity? Finally, can ambidexterity arise internally, or do firms have to externalize some processes? We provide an overview of the seven articles included in this special issue and suggest several avenues for future research.
ISSN:1047-7039
1526-5455
DOI:10.1287/orsc.1090.0428