Abstract

PurposeDrawing on paradox theory, this study explores how ambidextrous sustainability relates to organisational performance in hybrid organisations represented by Swedish municipal housing corporations, and how this relationship is contingent on the organisational structure of these organisations.Design/methodology/approachThe study relies on the data collected from Swedish municipal housing corporations. These data sources consist of a survey sent to the management team members in Swedish municipal housing corporations, financial and non-financial archival data on these corporations, interviews with the management team and board members, and observations of meetings involving the management team and board of directors at a Swedish municipal housing corporation. Quantitative data of the study were analysed using descriptive statistics, correlation analysis and linear multiple regression analysis. Qualitative data were analysed employing deductive thematic analysis and were used to illustrate and discuss the results of the quantitative analysis.FindingsThe quantitative findings show that ambidextrous sustainability, i.e. the alignment between an explorative orientation and an exploitative orientation towards sustainability, has a weakly positive relationship with financial performance and a positive relationship with social performance in hybrid organisations represented by Swedish municipal housing corporations. The study further shows that a high level of the structural element “connectedness” weakened the relationship between the ambidextrous sustainability and financial performance of the organisation in the study. In contrast, a lower level of connectedness reinforced and strengthened this relationship. Our qualitative material illustrates how the quantitative findings could be explained by the interaction between the board of directors and the management team of these hybrid organisations.Originality/valueThe study shows how ambidextrous sustainability, employed for conceptualisation of the sustainability strategy in hybrid organisations, represented by Swedish municipal housing corporations, can impact on facets of performance (i.e. financial, social and environmental) differently. The study further highlights the importance of organisational structures in these relationships in a hybrid context.

Highlights

  • Since the 1980s, there has been increasing popularity in the for-profit sector and the public sector osmosing; giving rise to the conceptualisation of hybrid organisations

  • This study explored whether ambidextrous sustainability of hybrid organisations, represented by SMHCs, is reflected in these organisations’ financial, social and environmental performance

  • It further explored whether the relationship between ambidextrous sustainability and different facets of performance is contingent on structural elements represented by organisational centralisation and connectedness

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Summary

Introduction

Since the 1980s, there has been increasing popularity in the for-profit sector and the public sector osmosing; giving rise to the conceptualisation of hybrid organisations. © Joshua Maine, Emilia Florin Samuelsson and Timur Uman. Published in Accounting, Auditing & Accountability Journal. The full terms of this licence may be seen at http:// creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode

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