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  • November 2013
  • Article
  • Academy of Management Perspectives

Organizational Ambidexterity: Past, Present and Future

By: Charles A. O'Reilly III and Michael Tushman
  • Format:Print
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Abstract

Organizational ambidexterity refers to the ability of an organization to both explore and exploit—to compete in mature technologies and markets where efficiency, control, and incremental improvement are prized and to also compete in new technologies and markets where flexibility, autonomy, and experimentation are needed. In the past 15 years there has been an explosion of interest and research on this topic. We briefly review the current state of the research, highlighting what we know and don't know about the topic. We close with a point of view on promising areas for ongoing research.

Keywords

Organizational Ambidexterity; Organization Design; Innovation; Leadership; Organizational Design; Innovation and Invention

Citation

O'Reilly, Charles A., III, and Michael Tushman. "Organizational Ambidexterity: Past, Present and Future." Academy of Management Perspectives 27, no. 4 (November 2013): 324–338.
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About The Author

Michael L. Tushman

Organizational Behavior
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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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