The paradox of exploitation vs exploration: reconnoitring the unexplored dimensions of organizational ambidexterity for developing countries including India and China

Abstract

Organizational Ambidexterity (OA) refers to an organization’s ability to exploit and explore resources, enabling it to strive in established as well as emerging markets. This study aims to review and synthesize existing research on organizational ambidexterity and propose directions to advance this research domain. The study employs the TCCM (Theory, Context, Characteristics, and Methodology) framework and the SPAR-4-SLR (Scientific Procedures and Rationale for Systematic Literature Reviews) protocol. We reviewed 73 research articles from the Scopus & Web of Science database between 2004–2023.The key findings reveal that the OA literature is predominantly skewed towards quantitative research, focused on developed countries, particularly in Europe and USA. Commonly utilized theories include the upper echelon theory and paradox theory. This paper enriches the OA domain by identifying and categorizing antecedents, moderators, mediators, and consequences of OA. The future research agenda is proposed on the basis of theoretical underpinnings, contexts, characteristics, and methods. The review has multifaceted implications for stakeholders such as management scholars, practitioners, managers, academicians, and policymakers. The unified conceptual model provides formative basis for future studies.