Human Resource Practices as a Predictor of Ambidexterity towards Competitive Advantage with Moderation of Managerial Ambidexterity

Abstract

This study intended to highlight the downward association of ability-enhancing human resource practices (AHP) on employees’ ambidexterity (EA), not in isolation, but by taking employees’ goal-orientation (EGO) as a mediator. Moreover, the upward connection between EA and organizational ambidexterity (OA) towards competitive advantage (CA) was examined in the presence of ambidextrous manager (AM), and opportunity-enhancing human resource practices (OHP) as moderators. This study aims to explore the multilevel analysis between organizational-level and individual-level constructs. OA indicates the ability of the firm to manage contrary nature of explorative and exploitative innovations simultaneously. Today’s dynamic business climate enforce organizations, especially software companies to pursue contradictory demands of these innovations. The study has focused on developing methods of ambidexterity via implication of its contextual approach, which emphasize on culture of freedom and permit employees to group their tasks of exploration and exploitation by themself. The AHP facilitates employees’ goal-orientation, which further boost EA in the presence of a moderator, that is, AM.  This is a time-lag study and data were collected via multistage proportionate stratified random sampling technique from a total of 600 participants via questionnaire. AMOS 4.0 software was used to analyze the data. All proposed hypotheses were authenticated by results. The study contributes to the theory of ambidexterity by inaugurating a multilevel model connecting AHP towards CA directly and indirectly through EGO, EA, and OA in the presence of the AM and OHP as moderators. In addition, this study provides guidance to the experts in ICT industry how to manage complicated nature of ambidexterity to survive successfully in today’s highly competitive world.

Key Words: Employee Ambidexterity, Organizational Ambidexterity, Ability-enhancing HR practices, Employee Goal Orientation, Competitive Advantage.