Managing the Complexity of Digital Transformation : How Multiple Concurrent Initiatives Foster Hybrid Ambidexterity

Title data

Jöhnk, Jan ; Ollig, Philipp ; Rövekamp, Patrick ; Oesterle, Severin:
Managing the Complexity of Digital Transformation : How Multiple Concurrent Initiatives Foster Hybrid Ambidexterity.
In: Electronic Markets. Vol. 32 (2022) . - pp. 547-569.
ISSN 1422-8890
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-021-00510-2

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Abstract in another language

Currently, incumbent companies launch digital transformation initiatives (DTI) to cope with technological changes, challenging competitive environments, increasing customer demands, and other digitalization challenges. The DTI spectrum is broad and covers structural as well as contextual changes. Often companies launch multiple concurrent DTIs resulting in considerable organizational complexity. However, research on successfully managing DTIs’ interplay is still scarce. Drawing on five management aspects (i.e. strategic alignment, governance, methods/IT, people, culture) and insights from three case companies, we elucidate DTIs’ interplay. Thereby, we illustrate that beneficial DTI interplay management leads to achieving a complementary duality instead of a competing dualism in organizational ambidexterity. We explicate that multiple concurrent DTIs can foster structural and contextual ambidexterity, i.e. leading to hybrid ambidexterity and conclude that contextual ambidexterity coheres and balances exploration and exploitation efforts. Thereby, we contribute to a better understanding of DTIs, their interplay management, and their roles to foster hybrid ambidexterity.