Individual Ambidexterity and Performance Outcomes: The Moderating Roleof Self-Regulation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.26439/pjm2026.n003.7990Keywords:
individual ambidexterity, innovation performance,, task performance, personal initiativeAbstract
Objectives: This study examines the relationship between individual ambidexterity—understood as an individual’s ability to balance exploration and exploitation—and three performance outcomes: innovation performance, task performance, and personal initiative. It also explores the cognitive mechanisms of cognitive variety and cognitive interruption, and evaluates the moderating role of self-regulatory orientations. Methodology/Design: Data were collected from 297 employees and their supervisors in a U.S. manufacturing company. A multi-source survey design was used to minimize common method bias, and hypotheses were tested using hierarchical regression analyses. Results: Individual ambidexterity was positively associated with innovation performance, task performance, and personal initiative. Additionally, results show that the interaction between individual ambidexterity and assessment orientation enhances task performance, with stronger gains for employees high in assessment orientation. Originality/Value: This study extends the limited body of research on the ambidexterity–performance link at the individual level by introducing cognitive mechanisms as explanatory pathways and applying regulatory mode theory to examine moderating effects. It enhances theoretical understanding and offers novel insights into how individual differences influence multiple forms of performance. Practical Implications: Managers should promote environments that support both exploration and exploitation, recruit and train employees with ambidextrous capabilities, and align roles with employees’ regulatory orientations to maximize performance benefits. Social Implications: By showing how individuals can simultaneously meet operational demands and drive innovation, this study underscores the social value of cultivating ambidextrous skills. Such capabilities promote workforce adaptability, proactive engagement, and resilience, thereby strengthening organizational competitiveness and contributing to broader economic stability.
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