Behind ambidextrous search: The micro-foundations of search in family and non-family firms

Ambra Mazzelli; Alfredo De Massis; Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli; Manlio Del Giudice; Zaheer Khan

doi:10.1016/j.lrp.2019.05.002

Behind ambidextrous search: The micro-foundations of search in family and non-family firms

Ambra Mazzelli^* (Corresponding Author), Alfredo De Massis, Antonio Messeni Petruzzelli, Manlio Del Giudice, Zaheer Khan

^*Corresponding author for this work

Business Management

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

42 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We offer a microfoundational perspective to challenge the consensual view of ambidextrous search as a superior approach to addressing performance problems. We characterize the nature of search as both ostensive and agentic, and suggest that search performance is idiosyncratic across individuals and highly dependent on decision makers' cognitive frameworks and social contexts. To test our theory, we develop a mathematical simulation model that formalizes the mechanisms regulating the search behaviors of senior leaders in both family and non-family firms. Our results suggest that a search approach that is conducive to superior performance in non-family firms may yield inferior performance in family firms depending on the senior leader's family membership and her/his positional history in the firm (i.e., non-family, founder, later-generation). Moreover, we reveal that while ambidexterity constitutes a superior search approach for family firms with founder CEOs, those with non-family or later-generation CEOs would seem to benefit from specialization.

Original language	English
Article number	101882
Number of pages	21
Journal	Long Range Planning
Volume	53
Issue number	6
Early online date	8 May 2019
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2019.05.002
Publication status	Published - Dec 2020

Bibliographical note

We are grateful to Associate Editor Thomas Lawton, Guest Editor Shlomo Tarba, and four anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions throughout the review process. We also acknowledge Luigi Marengo and Josip Kotlar for their comments on earlier versions of this paper. A special acknowledgment goes to Ivan Pakhotin, who provided superb research assistance. Thanks are due to conference participants at the Trans-Atlantic Doctoral Conference (London Business School), the ESI Paper Development and Review Workshop (Lancaster University Management School), and the 2018 Academy of Management Meeting in Chicago.

Keywords

Ambidexterity
Exploitation
Exploration
Family firms
Microfoundations
Search
Social context

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10.1016/j.lrp.2019.05.002Licence: Unspecified

Cite this

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abstract = "We offer a microfoundational perspective to challenge the consensual view of ambidextrous search as a superior approach to addressing performance problems. We characterize the nature of search as both ostensive and agentic, and suggest that search performance is idiosyncratic across individuals and highly dependent on decision makers' cognitive frameworks and social contexts. To test our theory, we develop a mathematical simulation model that formalizes the mechanisms regulating the search behaviors of senior leaders in both family and non-family firms. Our results suggest that a search approach that is conducive to superior performance in non-family firms may yield inferior performance in family firms depending on the senior leader's family membership and her/his positional history in the firm (i.e., non-family, founder, later-generation). Moreover, we reveal that while ambidexterity constitutes a superior search approach for family firms with founder CEOs, those with non-family or later-generation CEOs would seem to benefit from specialization.",

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note = "We are grateful to Associate Editor Thomas Lawton, Guest Editor Shlomo Tarba, and four anonymous reviewers for their insightful comments and suggestions throughout the review process. We also acknowledge Luigi Marengo and Josip Kotlar for their comments on earlier versions of this paper. A special acknowledgment goes to Ivan Pakhotin, who provided superb research assistance. Thanks are due to conference participants at the Trans-Atlantic Doctoral Conference (London Business School), the ESI Paper Development and Review Workshop (Lancaster University Management School), and the 2018 Academy of Management Meeting in Chicago. ",

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AU - Del Giudice, Manlio

AU - Khan, Zaheer

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N2 - We offer a microfoundational perspective to challenge the consensual view of ambidextrous search as a superior approach to addressing performance problems. We characterize the nature of search as both ostensive and agentic, and suggest that search performance is idiosyncratic across individuals and highly dependent on decision makers' cognitive frameworks and social contexts. To test our theory, we develop a mathematical simulation model that formalizes the mechanisms regulating the search behaviors of senior leaders in both family and non-family firms. Our results suggest that a search approach that is conducive to superior performance in non-family firms may yield inferior performance in family firms depending on the senior leader's family membership and her/his positional history in the firm (i.e., non-family, founder, later-generation). Moreover, we reveal that while ambidexterity constitutes a superior search approach for family firms with founder CEOs, those with non-family or later-generation CEOs would seem to benefit from specialization.

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Behind ambidextrous search: The micro-foundations of search in family and non-family firms

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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