Managing ambidexterity in a knowledge management strategy for an International Non-Governmental Organisation

Abstract

The survival of non-government organisations (NGOs) requires that they develop strategies designed for non-profits (Laurett & Ferreira, 2018) given the unique environment in which they operate (Akingbola, 2007; Courtney, 2002) while encapsulating sectoral diversity (Eagleton-Pierce, 2020). Extant research has focused on what NGOs do as opposed to how they perform activities (Lewis, 2014) with the latter offering researchers additional insights on the theoretical frameworks used in practice (Lindenberg, 2001). How organizations strategically respond to their environment can be examined using Miles & Snows (1978) adaptive cycle as an organizing framework. This research examines, over a two-and-a-half-year period ‘how’ an international non-governmental INGO developed a knowledge management strategy to align its internal operations with its external environment. This research identifies ‘how’ the adaptive cycle can support and understanding of how knowledge management strategy is developed in practice in INGOs.