Table Of ContentPraise for The Ambidextrous Organization
“Jens does a masterful job of defining the ‘ambidextrous organization’ that
can manage the paradoxes of individual competencies and organization
capabilities, managing culture as a shared mind-set and personal behavior,
and leadership as personal abilities and organization capabilities. This
book offers ideas with impact and can be useful in defining organizations
as bundles of capabilities more than structure.”
–Dave Ulrich, Rensis Likert Professor of Business,
University of Michigan; Partner, The RBL Group
“Many company leaders want innovation and profitable growth without
changing the way they’ve operated for years. Other leaders want to
rapidly explore new business opportunities without nurturing established
practices that ensure financial and operating stability. Jens Maier helps us
see – in this insightful and accessible book – how to do both in order to
lead effectively.”
–Jeff Semenchuk, Chief Innovation Officer, Hyatt Hotels Corporation
“Jens Maier’s erudite and entertaining book explains how companies – and
individuals – can use ‘both hands’ to exploit existing competitive advan-
tages and explore new ones. It is a commendable blueprint for tomorrow’s
corporate world.”
–Prof. Eric Cornuel, Director General and CEO, EFMD
“Executives around the world and across industries are challenged to make
innovation decisions in an environment often characterized as ‘digitiza-
tion’. This book offers practical insights for executives on how to frame
the challenges and to develop solutions for both their organizations and
their own leadership careers.”
–Zeger Degraeve, Dean, Melbourne Business School
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The Ambidextrous
Organization
Jens Maier
Lecturer, University of St. Gallen, Switzerland
Palgrave
macmillan
Jens Maier © 2015
Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 2015 978-1-137-48812-1
All rights reserved. No reproduction, copy or transmission of this
publication may be made without written permission.
No portion of this publication may be reproduced, copied or transmitted
save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988, or under the terms of any licence
permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency,
Saffron House, 6–10 Kirby Street, London EC1N 8TS.
Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has asserted his rights to be identified as the authors of this
work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
First published 2015 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN
Palgrave Macmillan in the UK is an imprint of Macmillan Publishers Limited,
registered in England, company number 785998, of Houndmills, Basingstoke,
Hampshire RG21 6XS.
Palgrave Macmillan in the US is a division of St Martin’s Press LLC,
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY10010.
Palgrave Macmillan is the global academic imprint of the above companies
and has companies and representatives throughout the world.
Palgrave® and Macmillan® are registered trademarks in the United States,
the United Kingdom, Europe and other countries.
ISBN 978-1-349-69577-5 ISBN 978-1-137-48814-5 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9781137488145
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully
managed and sustained forest sources. Logging, pulping and manufacturing
processes are expected to conform to the environmental regulations of the
country of origin.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
A catalog record for this book is available from the Library of Congress.
Typeset by MPS Limited, Chennai, India.
To my parents Gerda and Gerhard Maier
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Contents
List of Tables, Figures, and Boxes ix
Foreword xi
Acknowledgments xii
Introduction – The Case for
Ambidextrous Organizations and Ambidextrous Leaders 1
Part I: Challenges
Introduction to Part I 17
1 Strategic Challenges 25
2 Leadership Challenges 45
3 Process Challenges 65
4 Mindset Challenges 85
Summary: Part I 110
Part II: Solutions
Introduction to Part II 117
5 Solution – Linking Leadership
Development to Corporate Development 131
6 Solution: Scouting – Looking Beyond 165
vii
viii Contents
7 Solution: Convergence Engineering 187
8 Solution De- risking: Creating
Robust Organizational Architectures 217
Summary: Part II 246
Conclusion 249
References 261
Further Reading 264
Index 266
List of Tables, Figures,
and Boxes
Tables
Table I.1 Roles of Managers and Leaders 19
Table 3.1 Comparison: Exploitation – Exploration 78
Table 5.1 Performance Criteria for Corporate Universities 148
Figures
Figure 1.1 Example of Innovation Landscape 36
Figure 2.1 The T- Model 53
Figure 3.1 Shaping Game Projects/Exploration Prototyping 75
Figure I.II.1 Current Role of L&D Experts in Ambidexterity 120
Figure I.II.2 What Should the Learning and Development Community
do to Support Ambidexterity in Organizations? 121
Figure 5.1 Linking Leadership Development to Corporate
Development 133
Figure 5.2 Corporate Universities: Focus over Time 140
Figure 5.3 Case Examples: Corporate Universities 149
Figure 5.4 Amcor AFEA’s Demand Plotted within the
Environment of Executive Education and
Leadership Development Measures 151
Figure 5.5 The Three- Level Impact of the LTO II- Program 155
Figure 7.1 The Circle of Actionability 210
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