Exploring the role of organisational ambidexterity in promoting firm survival and performance through the global financial crisis

[摘要] Companies constantly hit rough patches. Unfortunately, not all firms manage to survive decade after decade. Some companies morph throughout the years and bear little resemblance to their original setup (Krakovsky, 2013). Johnson & Johnson began in the late 1880s by manufacturing commercial sterile surgical dressings, while Nokia was kicked off in 1865 as a riverside paper mill. The explanation for this longevity: organisational ambidexterity. The engagement in organisational ambidexterity has grown substantially over the past ten years as studies have found it promotes superior performance. This thesis examines the role of ambidexterity in promoting firm survival and performance through the 2008-2009 financial crisis. 11,290 U.S. firms, listed on the stock markets from 2006 through 2014, are used to form a longitudinal study. The first empirical chapter explores the research question, Did actually Corporate America experience a crisis in 2008 and 2009? The findings confirm that Corporate America did go through a crisis, based on the high bankruptcy rate, which underlines the importance of crisis survival knowledge and the value of this research. Then, the thesis identifies the influence of ambidexterity on the probability of firm survival during the Global Financial Crisis, through the research question, Why and how did some firms survive, while others did not? This thesis distinguishes the role of ambidexterity in relation to firm survival and performance. Survival and performance are not purely dependent on luck or the possession of slack resources. Hence, the knowledge and the ability to exploit and explore resources are essential for long-term survival and prosperity.

[发布机构] University:University of Birmingham;Department:Birmingham Business School, Department ofManagement

[关键词] H Social Sciences;HD Industries. Land use. Labor;HD28 Management. Industrial Management