Does HRM generate ambidextrous employees for ambidextrous learning? The moderating role of management support

Abstract

AbstractDuring the past decade, organizational ambidexterity has emerged as a central research stream in management science to investigate how organizations manage to remain successful over time. By using the lens of organizational learning, ambidexterity can be defined as the simultaneous pursuit of exploratory learning and exploitative learning. In this study, we attempt to bring human resource management into the forum by introducing and testing how human resource (HR) systems affect the firm's ambidextrous learning. We show how high-involvement HR systems may support ambidextrous learning by stimulating firm employees to behave ambidextrously. We also emphasize the moderating role of management support in sustaining ambidextrous learning through high-involvement HR systems. A field study of 182 companies from Spain showed that high-involvement HR systems were positively related to ambidextrous learning and validated the moderating role of management support.Keywords:: ambidextrous employeesambidextrous learningcooperative behaviourinnovative behaviourmanagement supportorganizational ambidexterity Additional informationFundingFunding for this research was provided by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (ECO2012-32075).