Nonlinear Influencing Mechanisms of Environmental Scanning on Ambidextrous Innovation:The Moderating Role of Strategic Flexibility

Abstract

Abstract:

Environmental scanning and innovation are two important strategic choices for firms to survive and keep growth in a highly competitive domestic and international environment. A theoretical model is constructed to investigate the relationships between environmental scanning, ambidextrous innovation and strategic flexibility. Empirical results based on 404 Chinese firms indicate that:environmental scanning has an inverted U relationship with exploitative innovation, a positive linear relationship with exploratory innovation, a U relationship with ambidextrous innovation interaction, and an inverted U relationship with ambidextrous innovation absolute difference. Moreover, strategic flexibility moderates the relationships between environmental scanning and explorative innovation, ambidextrous innovation interaction, and ambidextrous absolute difference. However, the inverted U relationship between environmental scanning and exploitative innovation is not subject to the moderation of strategic flexibility. This research enriches literatures of environmental scanning and ambidextrous innovation, and also has some theoretical contributions and practical implications.

Key words: environmental scanning, strategic flexibility, exploratory innovation, exploitative innovation, ambidextrous innovation

Li Ningjuan, Gao Shanxing, Shu Chengli. Nonlinear Influencing Mechanisms of Environmental Scanning on Ambidextrous Innovation:The Moderating Role of Strategic Flexibility[J]. , 2018, 30(4): 45-58.

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