Title: Incremental and 'radical' innovation in an emergent country automotive subsidiary: is there any organisational ambidexterity there?

Authors: Hélio Henrique De Matos; Ana Valéria Carneiro Dias; Raoni Barros Bagno

Addresses: Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av Antonio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil ' Production Engineering Department, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av Antonio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil ' Production Engineering Department, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av Antonio Carlos, 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, 31270-901, Brazil

Abstract: Organisational ambidexterity is the capacity to simultaneously perform 'exploitation' and 'exploration', that is to exploit existing skills, for instance through incremental innovation, without abandoning the exploration of new opportunities, e.g., through radical or major innovation. This paper aims to analyse how an emergent country automotive subsidiary organises itself for innovation and undertook exploration and exploitation efforts in the context of a multinational group over time. Research was done from a single retrospective, qualitative study. Results showed the existence of 'parallel structures', 'contextual ambidexterity' and 'temporal balancing' for ambidexterity. The relation between organisational ambidexterity and the trajectory of the subsidiary concerning international division of innovative labour was analysed, thus providing a conceptual contribution in order to understand the dynamics of organisation for innovation and, particularly, ambidexterity in the context of multinational companies. Managerial and theoretical implications are discussed especially regarding the impacts of organisational ambidexterity on subsidiaries' capability upgrading processes.

Keywords: ambidexterity; exploration; exploitation; dynamic ambidexterity; innovation management; IM; organisation for innovation; automotive industry; international division of labour; multinational companies; MNC; emerging countries.

DOI: 10.1504/IJATM.2019.100911

International Journal of Automotive Technology and Management, 2019 Vol.19 No.3/4, pp.206 - 228

Received: 08 Sep 2018
Accepted: 19 Dec 2018
Published online: 19 Jul 2019 *

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