Organizational Ambidexterity Building via Strategic Learning and Business Learning

Organizational ambidexterity, defined as the simultaneously pursuit of both exploitation and exploration activities, is essential for organizations' survival, thrive and mature. However, the building of this capability is still ambiguous in prior literatures. This paper draws on the organizational learning theories, presents how two types of learning (i.e. strategic learning and business learning) and their interaction contribute to the dynamic evolutionary of organizational ambidexterity. We conducted longitudinal single case study on an outstanding Chinese high-tech firm (Huawei) by revealing its evolutionary journey. Our study reveals that exploration and exploitation are distinctive but also closely associated, and that organizational ambidexterity is accumulative and should be constructed across multiple levels. Representative strategic and business learning activities and principles are also identified.