HOW DO MANAGERS GET AMBIDEXTERITY?

Xinghua Zhao, Hongjiang Lyu, Liang Wu

ABSTRACT: To better study managers’ contextual ambidextrous abilities, this research investigates the relationship between managers’ network consistency and contextual ambidexterity based on complex adaptive system theory in dynamic and complex environment. The theory is tested by using primary survey data from organizational members. The author collected 108 data at the managers’ level. Through hierarchical regression analyses, the conclusion is that the consistency between managers’ formal network and informal emotional network first low and then increase contextual ambidexterity abilities in a U-shaped relationship. Theoretical contributions and empirical results of this paper improve our understanding about managers’ contextual ambidexterity in social network perspective.

Keywords: Formal network，Informal emotional network, Consistency between formal and informal emotional network，Contextual ambidexterity, Complex adaptive system.