TY - JOUR
T1 - Ambidexterity under scrutiny
T2 - Exploration and exploitation via internal organization, alliances, and acquisitions
AU - Stettner, Uriel
AU - Lavie, Dovev
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
PY - 2014/12/1
Y1 - 2014/12/1
N2 - Prior research on ambidexterity has limited its concern to balancing exploration and exploitation via particular modes of operation. Acknowledging the interplay of tendencies to explore versus exploit via the internal organization, alliance, and acquisition modes, we claim that balancing these tendencies within each mode undermines firm performance because of conflicting routines, negative transfer, and limited specialization. Nevertheless, by exploring in one mode and exploiting in another, i.e., balancing across modes, a firm can avoid some of these impediments. Thus, we advance ambidexterity research by asserting that balance across modes enhances performance more than balance within modes. Our analysis of 190 U.S.-based software firms further reveals that exploring via externally oriented modes such as acquisitions or alliances, while exploiting via internal organization, enhances these firms' performance.
AB - Prior research on ambidexterity has limited its concern to balancing exploration and exploitation via particular modes of operation. Acknowledging the interplay of tendencies to explore versus exploit via the internal organization, alliance, and acquisition modes, we claim that balancing these tendencies within each mode undermines firm performance because of conflicting routines, negative transfer, and limited specialization. Nevertheless, by exploring in one mode and exploiting in another, i.e., balancing across modes, a firm can avoid some of these impediments. Thus, we advance ambidexterity research by asserting that balance across modes enhances performance more than balance within modes. Our analysis of 190 U.S.-based software firms further reveals that exploring via externally oriented modes such as acquisitions or alliances, while exploiting via internal organization, enhances these firms' performance.
KW - acquisition
KW - alliance
KW - exploration and exploitation
KW - firm performance
KW - internal organization
KW - software industry
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84912050407&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1002/smj.2195
DO - 10.1002/smj.2195
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AN - SCOPUS:84912050407
SN - 0143-2095
VL - 35
SP - 1903
EP - 1929
JO - Strategic Management Journal
JF - Strategic Management Journal
IS - 13
ER -