The Joint Influence of Strategic Planning and Ambidextrous Culture on Organizational Ambidexterity
Publisher DOI
Abstract
Prior studies on the influence of strategic planning on innovation activities have led to ambiguity as to whether it helps or hinders innovative activities. We extend this discussion by investigating the role of strategic planning in achieving organizational ambidexterity. We reason that the effect of strategic planning depends on whether employees perceive it as constraining or enabling. If strategic planning is perceived in an enabling way, it can unfold a positive effect on organizational ambidexterity. Furthermore, we argue that the perception of strategic planning as enabling is among others contingent upon the presence of an ambidextrous culture. Apart from a positive main effect of ambidextrous culture our results clearly support the hypothesis that strategic planning and ambidextrous culture have a synergistic positive effect on ambidexterity. Our findings also show that these results are robust for different ways of operationalizing organizational ambidexterity. The results thus indicate that leadership should foster an ambidextrous culture by communicating an overarching vision and promoting organizational diversity when applying strategic management practices, to allow the simultaneous pursuit of exploration and exploitation. Drawing on hand-collected performance data we investigate the performance consequences of organizational ambidexterity in a second step.
Date Issued
2016-08
Publication Type
Conference Item
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Additional Credits
Journal
Academy of Management Proceedings
Publisher
Academy of Management
ISSN
0065-0668
Title of Event
Access(Rights)
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