The role of leader's social intelligence on firms’ organizational ambidexterity: literature review

Abstract

The contemporary landscape of firms is marked by an imperative to balance competing demands—simultaneously exploring new opportunities while exploiting existing capabilities. This equilibrium, known as organizational ambidexterity, is central to Firms' adaptability and longevity in an ever-changing business environment. While extensive research has probed the factors influencing ambidexterity, there remains an intriguing and largely uncharted territory—the influence of leaders' social intelligence on Firms' ability to maintain this delicate balance. This article aims to navigate this terrain, offering an extensive exploration of the intricate interplay between leadership qualities, social intelligence, and organizational ambidexterity within firms.  This literature review explores the influence of leaders' social intelligence on the attainment of organizational ambidexterity in firms. Organizational ambidexterity, the simultaneous exploration of new opportunities and exploitation of existing capabilities, is critical for adaptability and competitiveness. Despite a rich literature on ambidexterity in general, literature is poor on understanding the specific role of leaders' social intelligence. Our study therefore reveals compelling insights into the interplay between leader's social intelligence and organizational ambidexterity. We discover that leaders with high social intelligence tend to create a more collaborative and innovative environment, supporting the organization's ability to explore new opportunities while exploiting existing capabilities. These leaders are adept at understanding and motivating their teams, fostering a culture of adaptability and change. We illuminate consequently the often-overlooked role of leaders' social intelligence in shaping organizational ambidexterity within firms. As these entities strive to meet diverse objectives and maintain competitiveness, our study underscores the significance of leadership qualities in achieving this balance. By bridging this research gap, we offer valuable insights that can inform decision-making strategies for Firms in a dynamic global landscape, ultimately contributing to their long-term success. This literature review, however, uses studies administered both on private and public entities to centralize information. This is due to the lack of literature relative to this subject. Future studies could develop comprehensive models of organizational ambidexterity evaluation solely designed for each category.

Keywords: Organizational ambidexterity; Social intelligence; literature review.

JEL classification :  D23, O15

Type de l’article : Review article