Managing the paradox: Individual ambidexterity, paradoxical leadership and multitasking in entrepreneurs across firm life cycle stages

Ambidexterity requires both exploration and exploitation. However, our understanding of the individual ambidexterity concept, its association with multitasking behaviours and paradoxical leadership across the firm life cycle of entrepreneurs remains limited. In this article, we examine 4355 behaviou...

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Main Authors: Klonek, Florian, Volery, Thierry, Parker, Sharon
Format: Journal Article
Published: 2020
Online Access:http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL160100033
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/80535
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author Klonek, Florian
Volery, Thierry
Parker, Sharon
author_facet Klonek, Florian
Volery, Thierry
Parker, Sharon
author_sort Klonek, Florian
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Ambidexterity requires both exploration and exploitation. However, our understanding of the individual ambidexterity concept, its association with multitasking behaviours and paradoxical leadership across the firm life cycle of entrepreneurs remains limited. In this article, we examine 4355 behavioural activities related to exploration and exploitation from 12 entrepreneurs. We first demonstrate that entrepreneurs display self-sustaining activity cycles; that is, exploration tended to be followed by exploration and exploitation tended to be followed by exploitation. Second, when multitasking behaviours were high, entrepreneurs had lower levels of ambidextrous switching. Third, we found an association between entrepreneurial ambidexterity and paradoxical leadership; this was moderated by the firm life cycle stage. As such, this article contributes to a better understanding of individual ambidexterity, leadership and multitasking in entrepreneurs.
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institution Curtin University Malaysia
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-805352020-10-12T02:44:55Z Managing the paradox: Individual ambidexterity, paradoxical leadership and multitasking in entrepreneurs across firm life cycle stages Klonek, Florian Volery, Thierry Parker, Sharon Ambidexterity requires both exploration and exploitation. However, our understanding of the individual ambidexterity concept, its association with multitasking behaviours and paradoxical leadership across the firm life cycle of entrepreneurs remains limited. In this article, we examine 4355 behavioural activities related to exploration and exploitation from 12 entrepreneurs. We first demonstrate that entrepreneurs display self-sustaining activity cycles; that is, exploration tended to be followed by exploration and exploitation tended to be followed by exploitation. Second, when multitasking behaviours were high, entrepreneurs had lower levels of ambidextrous switching. Third, we found an association between entrepreneurial ambidexterity and paradoxical leadership; this was moderated by the firm life cycle stage. As such, this article contributes to a better understanding of individual ambidexterity, leadership and multitasking in entrepreneurs. 2020 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/80535 10.1177/0266242620943371 http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL160100033 fulltext
spellingShingle Klonek, Florian
Volery, Thierry
Parker, Sharon
Managing the paradox: Individual ambidexterity, paradoxical leadership and multitasking in entrepreneurs across firm life cycle stages
title Managing the paradox: Individual ambidexterity, paradoxical leadership and multitasking in entrepreneurs across firm life cycle stages
title_full Managing the paradox: Individual ambidexterity, paradoxical leadership and multitasking in entrepreneurs across firm life cycle stages
title_fullStr Managing the paradox: Individual ambidexterity, paradoxical leadership and multitasking in entrepreneurs across firm life cycle stages
title_full_unstemmed Managing the paradox: Individual ambidexterity, paradoxical leadership and multitasking in entrepreneurs across firm life cycle stages
title_short Managing the paradox: Individual ambidexterity, paradoxical leadership and multitasking in entrepreneurs across firm life cycle stages
title_sort managing the paradox: individual ambidexterity, paradoxical leadership and multitasking in entrepreneurs across firm life cycle stages
url http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL160100033
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/80535