IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v12y2020i10p3966-d357036.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Ambidextrous Knowledge and Learning Capability: The Magic Potion for Employee Creativity and Sustainable Innovation Performance

Author

Listed:
  • Lucía Muñoz-Pascual

    (Department of Business Administration and Management, Multidisciplinary Institute for Enterprise (IME), University of Salamanca, Campus “Miguel de Unamuno”, Building FES, 37007 Salamanca, Spain)

  • Jesús Galende

    (Department of Business Administration and Management, Multidisciplinary Institute for Enterprise (IME), University of Salamanca, Campus “Miguel de Unamuno”, Building FES, 37007 Salamanca, Spain)

Abstract

This paper studies the effect that ambidextrous knowledge, i.e., oriented knowledge within a firm towards the development of exploitation activities and oriented knowledge towards the development of exploration activities, has on employee creativity, research and development, and sustainable product innovation. We contend that both tacit and explicit knowledge affect employee creativity, research and development, and sustainable product innovation. We empirically tested our hypotheses by using multisource data collected from 245 Spanish firms across fourteen industries. Our structural equation models indicate that these two types of individual knowledge predict employee creativity, which in turn strengthens research and development projects, and sustainable product innovation performance. The results confirm that the relationships between knowledge, creativity, research and development, and sustainable product innovation performance are strong with a high learning capability. A multi-group structural analysis also reveals that positive relations between tacit and explicit knowledge, employee creativity, research and development, and sustainable product innovation performance are stronger within firms that have employees with high learning capability. We provide pertinent recommendations for managers. The efforts and investments made in knowledge support the development of new ideas, new research and development projects, and sustainable product innovation success; employee learning capability has a strong influence on knowledge, creativity, and sustainable product innovation.

Suggested Citation

  • Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Jesús Galende, 2020. "Ambidextrous Knowledge and Learning Capability: The Magic Potion for Employee Creativity and Sustainable Innovation Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(10), pages 1-27, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:10:p:3966-:d:357036
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/10/3966/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/12/10/3966/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Cheng, Cheng-Feng & Chang, Man-Ling & Li, Chu-Shiu, 2013. "Configural paths to successful product innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(12), pages 2561-2573.
    2. James S. Worley, 1961. "Industrial Research and the New Competition," Journal of Political Economy, University of Chicago Press, vol. 69(2), pages 183-183.
    3. Michael Lounsbury & Eva Boxenbaum, 2013. "Institutional Logics in Action," Post-Print hal-01487932, HAL.
    4. Guo‐Ciang Wu, 2017. "Effects of Socially Responsible Supplier Development and Sustainability‐Oriented Innovation on Sustainable Development: Empirical Evidence from SMEs," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 24(6), pages 661-675, November.
    5. Bhatti, Waheed Akbar & Larimo, Jorma & Carrasco, Inmaculada, 2016. "Strategy's effect on knowledge sharing in host country networks," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(11), pages 4769-4774.
    6. Hult, G. Tomas M. & Ferrell, O. C., 1997. "Global organizational learning capacity in purchasing: Construct and measurement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 40(2), pages 97-111, October.
    7. Buckley, Peter J. & Carter, Martin J., 2002. "Process and structure in knowledge management practices of British and US multinational enterprises," Journal of International Management, Elsevier, vol. 8(1), pages 29-48.
    8. Armstrong, J. Scott & Overton, Terry S., 1977. "Estimating Nonresponse Bias in Mail Surveys," MPRA Paper 81694, University Library of Munich, Germany.
    9. Yam, Richard C. M. & Guan, Jian Cheng & Pun, Kit Fai & Tang, Esther P. Y., 2004. "An audit of technological innovation capabilities in chinese firms: some empirical findings in Beijing, China," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 33(8), pages 1123-1140, October.
    10. William James Adams, 1970. "Firm Size and Research Activity: France and the United States," The Quarterly Journal of Economics, President and Fellows of Harvard College, vol. 84(3), pages 386-409.
    11. Van de Ven, Andrew R., 1986. "Central Problems in the Management of Innovation," Agricultural Research Policy Seminar 139708, University of Minnesota Extension.
    12. Kathleen M. Eisenhardt & Jeffrey A. Martin, 2000. "Dynamic capabilities: what are they?," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 21(10‐11), pages 1105-1121, October.
    13. Gratton, Lynda & Ghoshal, Sumantra, 2003. "Managing Personal Human Capital:: New Ethos for the 'Volunteer' Employee," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 21(1), pages 1-10, February.
    14. Oyemomi, Oluwafemi & Liu, Shaofeng & Neaga, Irina & Alkhuraiji, Ali, 2016. "How knowledge sharing and business process contribute to organizational performance: Using the fsQCA approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(11), pages 5222-5227.
    15. Díaz-Chao, Ángel & Sainz-González, Jorge & Torrent-Sellens, Joan, 2015. "ICT, innovation, and firm productivity: New evidence from small local firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(7), pages 1439-1444.
    16. Faris Alghamdi, 2018. "Ambidextrous leadership, ambidextrous employee, and the interaction between ambidextrous leadership and employee innovative performance," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 7(1), pages 1-14, December.
    17. Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Carla Curado & Jesús Galende, 2019. "The Triple Bottom Line on Sustainable Product Innovation Performance in SMEs: A Mixed Methods Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-22, March.
    18. Kremer, Hannah & Villamor, Isabel & Aguinis, Herman, 2019. "Innovation leadership: Best-practice recommendations for promoting employee creativity, voice, and knowledge sharing," Business Horizons, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 65-74.
    19. Brusoni, Stefano & Rosenkranz, Nicole A., 2014. "Reading between the lines: Learning as a process between organizational context and individuals’ proclivities," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 147-154.
    20. Osabutey, Ellis L.C. & Jin, Zhongqi, 2016. "Factors influencing technology and knowledge transfer: Configurational recipes for Sub-Saharan Africa," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(11), pages 5390-5395.
    21. Ikujiro Nonaka, 1994. "A Dynamic Theory of Organizational Knowledge Creation," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 5(1), pages 14-37, February.
    22. Kianto, Aino & Sáenz, Josune & Aramburu, Nekane, 2017. "Knowledge-based human resource management practices, intellectual capital and innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 81(C), pages 11-20.
    23. Andrew H. Van de Ven, 1986. "Central Problems in the Management of Innovation," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 32(5), pages 590-607, May.
    24. Michael Song & Cornelia Droge & Sangphet Hanvanich & Roger Calantone, 2005. "Marketing and technology resource complementarity: an analysis of their interaction effect in two environmental contexts," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 259-276, March.
    25. Huergo, Elena, 2006. "The role of technological management as a source of innovation: Evidence from Spanish manufacturing firms," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 35(9), pages 1377-1388, November.
    26. Kuemmerle, Walter, 1998. "Optimal scale for research and development in foreign environments--an investigation into size and performance of research and development laboratories abroad," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 27(2), pages 111-126, June.
    27. Xie, Xuemei & Fang, Liangxiu & Zeng, Saixing & Huo, Jiage, 2016. "How does knowledge inertia affect firms product innovation?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(5), pages 1615-1620.
    28. Groza, Mark D. & Locander, David A. & Howlett, Charles H., 2016. "Linking thinking styles to sales performance: The importance of creativity and subjective knowledge," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 4185-4193.
    29. Cheng, Lu-Yun (Vivian) & Cai, Huifen (Helen) & Jin, Zhongqi, 2016. "The effect of parental opportunism, IJV's autonomy and tacit knowledge on IJV instability: A comparison of multi-variate regression and fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(11), pages 5203-5209.
    30. Maurizio Zollo & Sidney G. Winter, 2002. "Deliberate Learning and the Evolution of Dynamic Capabilities," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 13(3), pages 339-351, June.
    31. Curado, Carla & Muñoz-Pascual, Lucía & Galende, Jesús, 2018. "Antecedents to innovation performance in SMEs: A mixed methods approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 206-215.
    32. Molero, Jose & Buesa, Mikel, 1996. "Patterns of technological change among Spanish innovative firms: the case of the Madrid region," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(4), pages 647-663, June.
    33. Michael Lounsbury & Eva Boxenbaum, 2013. "Institutional Logics in Action," Post-Print hal-00826521, HAL.
    34. Justin J. P. Jansen & Konstantinos C. Kostopoulos & Oli R. Mihalache & Alexandros Papalexandris, 2016. "A Socio-Psychological Perspective on Team Ambidexterity: The Contingency Role of Supportive Leadership Behaviours," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 53(6), pages 939-965, September.
    35. Fossas-Olalla, Marta & Minguela-Rata, Beatriz & López-Sánchez, José-Ignacio & Fernández-Menéndez, José, 2015. "Product innovation: When should suppliers begin to collaborate?," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(7), pages 1404-1406.
    36. Clay Dibrell & Justin Craig & Jaemin Kim & Aaron Johnson, 2015. "Establishing How Natural Environmental Competency, Organizational Social Consciousness, and Innovativeness Relate," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 127(3), pages 591-605, March.
    37. Chen, Chung-Jen & Huang, Jing-Wen, 2009. "Strategic human resource practices and innovation performance -- The mediating role of knowledge management capacity," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 62(1), pages 104-114, January.
    38. Sung, Sun Young & Choi, Jin Nam, 2012. "Effects of team knowledge management on the creativity and financial performance of organizational teams," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 118(1), pages 4-13.
    39. David J. Teece & Gary Pisano & Amy Shuen, 1997. "Dynamic capabilities and strategic management," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 18(7), pages 509-533, August.
    40. Kumar, Nagesh & Saqib, Mohammed, 1996. "Firm size, opportunities for adaptation and in-house R & D activity in developing countries: the case of Indian manufacturing," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 25(5), pages 713-722, August.
    41. Elena Huergo & Jordi Jaumandreu, 2004. "How Does Probability of Innovation Change with Firm Age?," Small Business Economics, Springer, vol. 22(3_4), pages 193-207, April.
    42. Michelle Rogan & Marie Louise Mors, 2014. "A Network Perspective on Individual-Level Ambidexterity in Organizations," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 25(6), pages 1860-1877, December.
    43. Pavitt, Keith & Robson, Michael & Townsend, Joe, 1987. "The Size Distribution of Innovating Firms in the UK: 1945-1983," Journal of Industrial Economics, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 35(3), pages 297-316, March.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Jesús Galende & Carla Curado, 2021. "Contributions to Sustainability in SMEs: Human Resources, Sustainable Product Innovation Performance and the Mediating Role of Employee Creativity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, February.
    2. Ana María Serrano-Bedia & Marta Pérez-Pérez, 2021. "Knowledge Ambidexterity within a Business Context: Taking Stock and Moving Forward," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(18), pages 1-21, September.
    3. Yu Liu & Hao Zhang, 2022. "Driving Sustainable Innovation in New Ventures: A Study Based on the fsQCA Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-21, May.
    4. Eduardo Sánchez-García & Bartolomé Marco-Lajara & Pedro Seva-Larrosa & Javier Martínez-Falcó, 2022. "Driving Innovation by Managing Entrepreneurial Orientation, Cooperation and Learning for the Sustainability of Companies in the Energy Sector," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(24), pages 1-17, December.
    5. Jingjing Li & Gang Liu & Zihan Ma, 2021. "RD internationalization, domestic technology alliance, and innovation in emerging market," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 16(6), pages 1-35, June.
    6. Tikas, Gaurav Dilip, 2023. "Team innovation capability: Scale development and validation," Technovation, Elsevier, vol. 126(C).
    7. Hasan Farid & Yang Zhang & Ming Tian & Jamshed Raza & Shiyao Lu, 2023. "Unveiling the job characteristics-creativity rapport through the bridge of thriving: a self-determination perspective from the Chinese hospitality sector," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-10, December.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Jesús Galende, 2020. "Ambidextrous Relationships and Social Capability as Employee Well-Being: The Secret Sauce for Research and Development and Sustainable Innovation Performance," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(9), pages 1-22, April.
    2. Curado, Carla & Muñoz-Pascual, Lucía & Galende, Jesús, 2018. "Antecedents to innovation performance in SMEs: A mixed methods approach," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 206-215.
    3. Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Carla Curado & Jesús Galende, 2019. "The Triple Bottom Line on Sustainable Product Innovation Performance in SMEs: A Mixed Methods Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-22, March.
    4. Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Carla Curado & Jesús Galende, 2021. "Fuzzy Set Qualitative Comparative Analysis on the Adoption of Environmental Practices: Exploring Technological- and Human-Resource-Based Contributions," Mathematics, MDPI, vol. 9(13), pages 1-21, July.
    5. Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Jesús Galende & Carla Curado, 2019. "Human Resource Management Contributions to Knowledge Sharing for a Sustainability-Oriented Performance: A Mixed Methods Approach," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(1), pages 1-24, December.
    6. Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Jesús Galende & Carla Curado, 2021. "Contributions to Sustainability in SMEs: Human Resources, Sustainable Product Innovation Performance and the Mediating Role of Employee Creativity," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(4), pages 1-20, February.
    7. Lucía Muñoz-Pascual & Carla Curado & Jesús Galende, 2021. "How does the use of information technologies affect the adoption of environmental practices in SMEs? A mixed-methods approach," Review of Managerial Science, Springer, vol. 15(1), pages 75-102, January.
    8. Onexy Quintana-Martinez & Antonio-Rafael Ramos-Rodriguez, 2016. "Changes in the Axes of Convergence of Innovation Management Research," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 11(5), pages 1-96, April.
    9. Anil K. Gupta & Paul E. Tesluk & M. Susan Taylor, 2007. "Innovation At and Across Multiple Levels of Analysis," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 18(6), pages 885-897, December.
    10. Marlenne G. Velazquez-Cazares & Anna M. Gil-Lafuente & Ernesto Leon-Castro & Fabio Blanco-Mesa, 2021. "Innovation capabilities measurement using fuzzy methodologies: a Colombian SMEs case," Computational and Mathematical Organization Theory, Springer, vol. 27(4), pages 384-413, December.
    11. Zheng, Lu & Ulrich, Klaus & Sendra-García, Javier, 2021. "Qualitative comparative analysis: Configurational paths to innovation performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 128(C), pages 83-93.
    12. Qaiyum, Sameer & Wang, Catherine L., 2018. "Understanding internal conditions driving ordinary and dynamic capabilities in Indian high-tech firms," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 90(C), pages 206-214.
    13. Philipp Nitzsche & Bernd W. Wirtz & Vincent Göttel, 2016. "Innovation Success In The Context Of Inbound Open Innovation," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 20(02), pages 1-38, February.
    14. Koen H. Heimeriks & Geert Duysters, 2007. "Alliance Capability as a Mediator Between Experience and Alliance Performance: An Empirical Investigation into the Alliance Capability Development Process," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 44(1), pages 25-49, January.
    15. Rodrigo Martín-Rojas & Virginia Fernández-Pérez & Encarnación García-Sánchez, 0. "Encouraging organizational performance through the influence of technological distinctive competencies on components of corporate entrepreneurship," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-30.
    16. Iyer, Karthik N.S. & Srivastava, Prashant & Srinivasan, Mahesh, 2019. "Performance implications of lean in supply chains: Exploring the role of learning orientation and relational resources," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 216(C), pages 94-104.
    17. Waleczek, Peter & von den Driesch, Till & Flatten, Tessa C. & Brettel, Malte, 2019. "On the dynamic bundles behind operations management and research and development," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 37(2), pages 175-187.
    18. Galende, Jesus & de la Fuente, Juan Manuel, 2003. "Internal factors determining a firm's innovative behaviour," Research Policy, Elsevier, vol. 32(5), pages 715-736, May.
    19. Rodrigo Martín-Rojas & Virginia Fernández-Pérez & Encarnación García-Sánchez, 2017. "Encouraging organizational performance through the influence of technological distinctive competencies on components of corporate entrepreneurship," International Entrepreneurship and Management Journal, Springer, vol. 13(2), pages 397-426, June.
    20. von den Driesch, Till & Eva Susanne da Costa, Maika & Christina Flatten, Tessa & Brettel, Malte, 2015. "How CEO experience, personality, and network affect firms' dynamic capabilities," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 245-256.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:12:y:2020:i:10:p:3966-:d:357036. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.