Abstract:

Based on the "both/and" cognitive thinking, ambidextrous leadership reconciles the conflicting leadership behaviors and provides novel insights into solving the paradox of innovation-efficiency in organizational development. However, extant research has most focused on the effect of ambidextrous leadership on ambidextrous performance (i.e., balance between innovation and efficiency) as well as its underlying mechanism. To address this issue, we propose the concept of ambidextrous performance and examine the effect of ambidextrous leadership on the ambidextrous performance from a multi-level perspective. We draw on the theory of human capital and build amoderated mediation model with flexibility-oriented HRM practices and accumulation of human resource flexibility as serial mediators. In doing so, the implications of ambidextrous leadership are extended, i.e., the relationship between ambidextrous leadership and ambidextrous performance is integrated with HRM practices to reveal a new mechanism through which ambidextrous leadership leads to desirable outcomes. Implications for how organizations can achieve ambidextrous performance are also provided.

Key words: ambidextrous leadership, flexibility-oriented HRM practices, HR flexibility, ambidextrous performance, human capital theory