Ambidexterity as Practice: Individual Ambidexterity Through Paradoxical Practices

Ambidexterity

a faculty as the right, and in many callings the power of equal use is very convenient. An ophthalmic surgeon for example who can use either hand indifferently for delicate eye operations can do his work more quickly and neatly than the man who can only trust his right hand. In piano and organ playing and in performing on most musical instruments ambidexterity is indispensable. Indeed in violin...

Achieving Organizational Flexibility through Ambidexterity

This article introduces the concept of organizational ambidexterity and explains its value to military planning and problem-solving from the tactical to strategic levels. I 2005, as the US military waged numerous armed conflicts around the world, Army Chief of Staff General Peter J. Schoomaker was confronted with a serious troop shortage. In an interview with Time, he explained not only how he ...

A Network Perspective on Individual-Level Ambidexterity in Organizations

Addressing the call for a deeper understanding of ambidexterity at the individual level, we propose that managers’ networks are an important yet understudied factor in the ability to balance the trade-off between exploring for new business and exploiting existing business. Analyses of 1449 ties in the internal and external networks of 79 senior managers in a management consulting firm revealed ...

Contextual Determinants of Organizational Ambidexterity

The Ambidexterity of Managers' Networks

Addressing the call for a deeper understanding of ambidexterity at the individual level, we propose that managers? networks are an important yet understudied factor in the ability to balance the trade-off between exploring for new business and exploiting existing business. Analyses of 1449 ties in the networks of 79 senior partners in a management consulting firm revealed significant difference...