Knowledge Sharing Ambidexterity in Long-Term Interorganizational Relationships

Although past research has investigated the impact of exploration and exploitation on firm performance, there is limited research on these effects in interorganizational relationships. We examine whether the boundary condition for ambidextrous learning can be extended from firms to long-term interor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Management science Vol. 54; no. 7; pp. 1281 - 1296
Main Authors:	Im, Ghiyoung, Rai, Arun
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Linthicum, MD INFORMS 01.07.2008 Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences
Series:	Management Science
Subjects:	Analysis Applied sciences Boundary objects Business networks Business organization Business structures Business studies Computer science; control theory; systems Consumers contextual ambidexterity Customers Datasets digital boundary objects Exact sciences and technology Exploitation exploration Firm modelling Functional laterality Handedness Information sharing Information systems. Data bases Interorganizational relations Interorganizational relationships Knowledge Knowledge management Knowledge sharing Learning learning paradox Logistics Long term Management science Marketing strategies Memory organisation. Data processing Methods Ontological commitment Ontology Operational research and scientific management Operational research. Management science Organizational effectiveness Organizational learning Organizational performance Organizational structure Pragmatics Semantics Sharing Software Statistical variance Strategic planning (Business) Studies Supply Supply chain management Syntax Vendors United States Performance evaluation exploration Ontology knowledge sharing digital boundary objects Knowledge representation Syntactic analysis Artefact Boundary condition Long term Knowledge transfer Pragmatics contextual ambidexterity exploitation Sharing Semantics Extended enterprise Firm management learning paradox ontological commitment Logistics
ISSN:	0025-1909, 1526-5501
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Summary:	Although past research has investigated the impact of exploration and exploitation on firm performance, there is limited research on these effects in interorganizational relationships. We examine whether the boundary condition for ambidextrous learning can be extended from firms to long-term interorganizational relationships. Specifically, we focus on a particular aspect of learning—namely, explorative and exploitative knowledge sharing—and examine its impact on the performance of long-term relationships. We also theorize how ambidextrous management of the relationship and ontological commitment to span the syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic knowledge boundaries between partners enable knowledge sharing. Our theoretical predictions are tested using data collected from both account managers at customer firms responsible for the relationship with a leading supply chain vendor and account managers at the vendor firm responsible for relationships with customers. The findings suggest that both exploratory and exploitative knowledge sharing lead to relationship performance gains, that such sharing is enabled by the ambidextrous management of the relationship, and that such sharing is facilitated by ontological commitment. Interesting differences in the enablers and consequences of both forms of knowledge sharing are detected between customers and the vendor.
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ISSN:	0025-1909 1526-5501
DOI:	10.1287/mnsc.1080.0902