Organizational ambidexterity: A reconceptualization and research agenda for the VUCA international context

Abstract

The literature confirms that organizational ambidexterity (OA) is the key to increasing an organization's prospects for survival and success in an increasingly volatile, uncertain, complex, ambiguous (VUCA) international environment. A critical review of this literature reveals that the conceptualization of OA is disorganized and ambiguous when it establishes and labels relevant aspects of this construct, such as its development and implementation. This study provides a conceptual framework for OA and its dimensions and explains the mechanisms for building and implementing OA. The most important contribution resides in providing research guidelines to improve the consistency and rigour of OA conceptualization in the VUCA international context. To develop this research agenda, we use the VUCA framework, which allows us to identify possible future research and the application of theories and methodologies not previously used. Thus, in general terms, to respond to volatility, studies must be carried out on the agility of organizations. For uncertainty, the topics of knowledge and information management are interesting. To respond to the complexity, topics on restructuring are interesting. And to avoid ambiguity, studies on experimentation would be ideal. Based on this generality, this study proposes multiple future lines of research.