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  • July – August 2009
  • Article
  • Organization Science

Organizational Ambidexterity: Balancing Exploitation and Exploration for Sustained Performance

By: Sebastian Raisch, Julian Birkinshaw, Gilbert Probst and Michael Tushman
  • Format:Print
  • | Pages:11
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Abstract

Organizational ambidexterity has emerged as a new research paradigm in organization theory, yet several issues that are 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.

Keywords

Change; Innovation and Invention; Business Processes; Organizational Change and Adaptation; Organizational Design; Organizational Structure; Research; Integration

Citation

Raisch, Sebastian, Julian Birkinshaw, Gilbert Probst, and Michael Tushman. "Organizational Ambidexterity: Balancing Exploitation and Exploration for Sustained Performance." Organization Science 20, no. 4 (July–August 2009): 685–695.
  • Find it at Harvard

About The Author

Michael L. Tushman

Organizational Behavior
→More Publications

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    The Translucent Hand of Managed Ecosystems: Engaging Communities for Value Creation and Capture

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More from the Authors
  • Corporate Explorer: How Corporations Beat Startups at the Innovation Game By: Andrew Binns, Charles A. O'Reilly III and Michael Tushman
  • Leading Disruption in a Legacy Business: A Compelling Growth Ambition Is a Critical Enabler for New Ventures By: Andy Binns, Michael Tushman and Charles O'Reilly
  • The Translucent Hand of Managed Ecosystems: Engaging Communities for Value Creation and Capture By: Elizabeth J. Altman, Frank Nagle and Michael Tushman
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