Resolving contradictions in military operations via ambidexterity

Abstract

Joseph Soeters applied the concept of organizational ambidexterity to military organizations as an innovative approach to support military planning and operations. Much like a basketball player who is skilled with using both hands, an ambidextrous organization is able to take into account long-run needs and simultaneously exploit the current environment. This useful concept is grounded in the pragmatism of Morris Janowitz, John Dewey, and Jane Addams. Organizational ambidexterity offers numerous applications to improve organizational effectiveness and facilitate melioristic changes in the turbulent, often contradictory, postmodern, yin-yang military.