Discipline versus passion: Collectivism, centralization, and ambidextrous innovation

Abstract

Can the collectivistic culture of an organization help manage the tension between explorative and exploitative innovation? Though recent studies have suggested contextual approaches to cope with the tension, we still lack an understanding regarding whether organizational culture can be a context vehicle in solving the tension and consequently in enabling ambidextrous innovation. Drawing upon organizational effectiveness theory, we seek to present a collectivistic culture perspective in achieving ambidexterity and aim to settle the nested paradox of innovation in the pair of personal drivers, that is, discipline versus passion. Based on 102 completed survey questionnaires from 60 high-tech clusters in China, we found that creating collectivistic culture within an organization can help alleviate the tension between exploration and exploitation in organizational learning and facilitate ambidextrous innovation within the firm. Moreover, the effect of collectivism on achieving ambidextrous innovation will be weakened in a centralized hierarchy system.