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WHAT IS AMBIDEXTERITY?

Ambidexterity

[ˌambɪdɛkˈstɛrɪti]

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  1. When people are equally skillful with their right and their left hand;
     

  2. The art of simultaneously orchestrating exploitation and exploration, when companies improve their present core business and simultaneously unlock radically new (digital) business opportunities for the future. 

Ambidextrie
Ambidexterity as Mental Model for Digital Transformation

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The concept of organizational ambidexterity provides an excellent mental model for the process of digital transformation. It uncovers the tension or trade-off between activities for exploitation and for exploration - for todays business and the future of digital solutions.

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Types of Organizational Ambidexterity

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Over the years different types of organizational ambidexterity have appeared.

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  1. Sequential ambidexterity
    Temporal sequence of exploration and exploitation (e.g. one follows the other)
     

  2. Structural ambidexterity
    Local or organizational separation of exploration and exploitation (e.g. different business units)
     

  3. Contextual ambidexterity
    Contextual balancing of exploration and exploitation (e.g. simultaneous activities in one organizational unit)
     

  4. Intellectual ambidexterity
    Intellectual cross-over capacity or talent of single persons (For further information read the interview with the American neuroscientist Nancy Andreasen at NPR.org)​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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Ambidextrie
Literature to start with:

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  • Duncan, Robert B. (1976): The Ambidextrous Organization: Designing Dual Structures for Innovation. In: Ralph H. Kilmann, Louis R. Pondy und Dennis P. Slevin (Hrsg.): The Management of Organization Design. New York [u.a.]: North-Holland, p. 167–188.

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