Ambidextrous IT Governance in the Public Sector: A Revelatory Case Study of the Swedish Tax Authorities

Abstract

Contemporary organizations are increasingly turning their attention towards utilizing information technology not solely for achieving efficiency gains but also for attaining innovation. The literature suggests that the trade-off between efficiency and innovation may be avoided through adopting what is referred to as organizational ambidexterity. Using a revelatory case study of the Swedish tax authorities informed by organizational ambidexterity, we develop an understanding of how the strive for ambidexterity is effectuated through IT Governance. Our research shows that despite the best intentions of the organization in stipulating ambidextrous IT Governance, the implementation of said governance invariantly becomes laden with trade-offs. In addition to providing insights about the relatively novel phenomenon of Ambidextrous IT Governance, the study contributes to the literature on organizational ambidexterity with an empirical investigation into the difficulties associated with achieving ambidexterity within the public sector.