Ambidextrous leadership and TMT-member ambidextrous behavior: the role of TMT behavioral integration and TMT risk propensity

Abstract

It has been suggested that organizations capable of pursuing exploration and exploitation simultaneously obtain superior performance. Ambidextrous organizations often have multiple and conflicting goals, which can pose considerable challenges for top managers. The purpose of this study is to investigate how the ambidextrous leadership of chief executive officers (CEOs) influences the ambidextrous behavior of top management team (TMT) members. The analysis of multisourcesurvey data reveals that CEO ambidextrous leadership predicts TMT-member ambidextrous behavior. The relationship is mediated by TMT behavioral integration (i.e. collaborative behavior, information exchange and joint decision-making). Moreover, the indirect relationship is moderated by TMT-member risk propensity. Theoretical contributions and research implications are discussed.

Keywords:

• Ambidextrous leadership
• moderated-mediation model
• TMT behavioral integration
• TMT-member risk propensity
• TMT-member ambidextrous behavior

Notes

1. Wanyan produced the world’s first video compact disc(VCD) player.