Structuring ambidextrous organizations: Exploitation and exploration as a key for long-term success

Abstract

In today's environment, innovation and agility are deemed central to a firm's sustainable growth and prosperity. Moreover, to ensure short-term viability, there should be a focus on operational efficiency and the continuous improvement of existing capabilities. The article at hand explains how this balance might be achieved through structural ambidexterity. Its three structural forms, namely cyclical separation, structural separation, and parallel organizations, allow for the conciliation of the two opposing activities: exploitation of current capabilities and exploration of new opportunities. Furthermore, we maintain that different types of innovation might require different organizational structures. © 2010 Gabler Verlag | GWV Fachverlage GmbH, Wiesbaden.