Ambidexterity in SBUs: TMT Behavioral Integration and Environmental Dynamism

This study seeks to advance previous research by linking top management team ( TMT ) processes to organizational ambidexterity, and highlights the importance of environmental dynamism as a boundary condition on the effectiveness of TMTs in promoting balance between exploratory and exploitative learning. The findings from multiple respondents (245 TMT members, including the CEO of the SBUs , and 883 employees) in 101 small‐sized strategic business units ( SBUs ) with a defined product line indicate that TMT behavioral integration helps build ambidexterity, but that the influence of TMT behavioral integration on ambidexterity is stronger when the task environment is characterized by a high level of dynamism. These findings contribute to a better understanding of the conditions under which behaviorally integrated TMTs are able to pursue an ambidextrous orientation in relatively small‐sized units. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.