Title: Ambidextrous innovation from a holistic perspective: leveraging into sustainable competitive advantage of SMEs

Authors: Ariful Islam; Sazali Abd Wahab

Addresses: Putra Business School (AACSB-Accredited), University of Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia ' Putra Business School (AACSB-Accredited), University of Putra Malaysia (UPM), Malaysia

Abstract: From a firm growth perspective, small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) that incorporate more innovation-focused activities into their main business strategy may benefit from lower costs, reduced risks, and new business opportunities. However, irresponsible innovation may jeopardise the process of their long-term survival. Thus, the goal of this study is to get a deeper understanding of a holistic ambidextrous innovation model based on a big data strategy that bridges the gap between desired innovation outputs and government support. This conceptual study takes into account a variety of literature evaluations from the fields of strategic management and entrepreneurship, as well as a new issue of spirituality in business strategy. Almost 303 articles have been determined to be relevant to the topic. The study's findings established a holistic ambidextrous innovation paradigm for achieving sustainable competitive advantage. In this regard, the direction may help enterprises differentiate themselves and compete more effectively.

Keywords: big data; corporate spirituality; exploitative innovation; explorative innovation; Society 5.0; sustainable growth.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBIR.2026.153499

International Journal of Business Innovation and Research, 2026 Vol.40 No.1, pp.1 - 27

Received: 10 Feb 2022
Accepted: 05 Mar 2022
Published online: 12 May 2026 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article