Organizational Ambidexterity: A Review and Research Agenda

Abstract

We review the literature on organizational ambidexterity using the hybrid review approach, which integrates bibliometric analysis with a framework-based review. We provide directions for future studies by identifying key gaps in the existing literature. The bibliometric analysis provides the trends and progress of the research field through citation analysis, analysis of keyword co-occurrence, and other bibliometric indicators such as most influential journals, countries, and authors. The TCCM (Theories, Contexts, Characteristics, and Methodology) framework helps us to identify the widely used theories, constructs, and methods in ambidexterity research and provides new avenues for future research by analyzing the most used theories, methods, constructs, and research contexts. We suggest that future researchers should explore the behavioral components of firms’ environment as an antecedent factor and there should be more emphasis on summarization of the divergent views pertaining to ambidexterity enablers. In addition to identifying the key research themes and knowledge structure of organizational ambidexterity, this review would help to create a value to the ambidexterity literature in terms of quantification and consolidation of research evolution. This is the first comprehensive literature review using hybrid approach (bibliometric review with TCCM framework) in the field of organizational ambidexterity research.