Organizational ambidextry

  • [Translate to English:] Pfeile

The economy is experiencing profound changes due to new regulations (e.g. European Green Deal, Supply Chain Act), new technologies (e.g. in the field of digitalization and genome editing) and changed demand behavior (e.g. sustainable consumption). Especially when their own existence is threatened, companies need to build competencies in areas that are unknown to them in order to be able to act in an economically, ecologically and socially sustainable way (also) in the future. For example, a meat producer or processor might need competencies in biotechnology and cell cultures to offer Clean Meat in the future if traditional production for their own products cannot be maintained. To invest in those new competencies that may make the existing business obsolete, financial surpluses from the current business are paradoxically needed. The ability to balance the paradoxes between leveraging existing competencies (exploitation) and building new competencies (exploration) is called organizational ambidextry.

>> In our research, we explore what factors must interact for companies to achieve organizational ambidextry and how achieving it, in turn, affects economic, environmental, and social sustainability.

Crisis

In recent years, the world has been shaken by multiple crises (e.g., COVID-19, global supply chain disruptions, energy crisis) and numerous others are looming (e.g., extreme weather events due to climate change, blackouts). In particular, deep, unexpected changes require adaptations by businesses and consumers alike.

>> In our research, we identify the effects and influencing factors caused by multiple crises. The analysis focuses on the actors in the food value chain, from primary production to consumption. For example, we identify behavioral patterns that consumers exhibit in their purchasing behavior as a result of these crises and identify reactions on the part of agriculture.