Ambidexterity as practice : individual ambidexterity through paradoxical practices

Following the turn to practice in organization theory and the emerging interest in the microfoundations of ambidexterity, understanding the role of individuals in realizing ambidexterity approaches becomes crucial. Drawing insights from Greek philosophy on paradoxes, and practice theory on paradoxes and ambidexterity, we propose a view of individual ambidexterity grounded in paradoxical practices. Existing conceptualizations of ambidexterity are largely based on separation strategies. Contrary to this perspective, we argue that individual ambidexterity can be accomplished via paradoxical practices that renegotiate or transcend boundaries of exploration and exploitation. We identify three such paradoxical practices at the individual level that can advance understanding of ambidexterity: engaging in “hybrid tasks,” capitalizing cumulatively on previous learning, and adopting a mindset of seeking synergies between the competing demands of exploration and exploitation

In pursuit of ambidexterity : managerial reactions to innovation-efficiency tensions

Whereas tensions arising from the pursuit of ambidexterity have been documented, how these are interpreted and managed by actors themselves remains largely unexplored. Based on in-depth case research in a large Scandinavian based telecommunications organization pursuing ambidexterity, we identify a path-dependent process of tension interpretation and tension management at different levels of the organization. Our findings suggest that in the context of an ambidextrous strategy, actors are actively involved in managing arising tensions based on their differing interpretations of these tensions (where ambidextrous demands are seen as complementary, conflicting or interrelated). We find that these interpretations are influenced by actors’ strategic orientation and organizational level. Our study extends understanding of the pursuit of ambidexterity in practice, offering a pluralist, path-dependent perspective of how actors perceive and deal with ambidexterity tensions

How do innovators stay innovative? A longitudinal case analysis

Purpose – How can some companies be the innovation leader in their industry over prolonged periods of time, while others cannot? The purpose of this study is to understand a firm’s capability to be a successful serial innovator and to generate a constant stream of industry-leading innovations. Design/Methodology/Approach – The paper uses a longitudinal case study approach to gain an understanding of what and how Singapore Airlines (SIA) sustained service innovation for over 30 years. The study uses triangulation, whereby the core data from in-depth interviews with senior and middle management, and frontline employees were complemented with academic research, case studies, annual reports, observations, and archival documents. 240 single-spaced pages of interview transcripts with over 130,000 words were analyzed and coded using MAXQDA for identifying repeated patterns of meaning. Findings – We identified three key institutional foundations for service innovation: (1) innovation climate (i.e., leadership and service culture), (2) human capital (i.e., recruitment, training and development, and engagement and incentives), and (3) resource configurations (i.e., systems, structure, and processes). These foundations enabled the organization to build the following four service innovation-related dynamic capabilities: (1) embrace ambidexterity, (2) institutionalize learning and knowledge integration, (3) orchestrate collaboration, and (4) reinvent customer value. Interestingly, these institutional foundations and capabilities remained largely stable across 30 years; what changed were the contexts and specifics, not the foundations and capabilities. Research Limitations and Implications – Data were collected only from one company. Due to the method of thematic analysis the generalizability of our findings needs further investigation. Originality/ValueOriginality/Value – This study is the first to investigate the drivers of industry-leading sustained service innovation over a prolonged period of time. The proposed framework provides a fuller and more integrated picture of sustained service innovation than past cross-sectional studies

NASA's capability evolution toward commercial space

We discuss how the space industry moved from a government dominated field to a commercially driven field. In the context of this industry shift, we explore how NASA's capabilities developed from its early hierarchical model to the intergovernmental and then commercial network models. We refer in particular to NASA's organizational, cultural, relational, and technological capabilities. These developments over time suggest that these are dynamic capabilities that respond to the demands of the external environment and to mission imperatives

Ambidexterity as historically embedded process : evidence from NASA, 1958-2016

Even though the growing ambidexterity literature has delivered useful insights, this theme has been researched largely in static and a-contextual terms, without adequate attention to how an organization’s history and context can shape its present. In this paper we employ NASA as an in-depth case study to trace how its historical trajectory has shaped its current propensity to be ambidextrous. Our study reveals organizational ambidexterity as a path-dependent, contingent process rather than something necessarily achievable via the more generic prescriptions of structural, temporal or contextual ambidexterity models

The effect of evocative frames on strategic decisions

We employ the frame perspective and data from a natural experiment conducted over a period of 22 years to investigate framing effects and how they can influence strategic decision-making in a total of 205 teams of participants in an organization theory course. We find that frames can have substantial effects on strategic decisions, through evoking implicit storylines which invite moral considerations and emotions into the decision process. The finding that frames can implicitly impact decisions through their selectivity, salience and emotive effects extends our understanding of strategic decision making as well as of how frames shape decisions. We contribute to understanding of frames and framing effects by highlighting the pervasive role of emotion; and offer an expanded perspective that goes beyond frames as interpretive schemes, to view them as situated symbolic actions. We conclude by discussing practical implications for executives and organizations

Does Singapore need a code of best practices in corporate governance?

Research Paper Series (National University of Singapore. Faculty of Business Administration); 1999-0341-2

DEVELOPING THE "EXTENDED WEB" MODEL: A CULTURAL FRAMEWORK FOR ORGANIZATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Research Paper Series (National University of Singapore. Faculty of Business Administration); 1999-0011-4

Privatisation : global trends and implications of the Singapore experience

Research Paper Series (National University of Singapore. Faculty of Business Administration); 1998-0451-2

The Board of Directors as Leaders of the Organisation

Corporate Governance73256-26