Site-shifting as the source of ambidexterity: Empirical insights from the field of ticketing
The Journal of Strategic Information SystemsPublished 15 February 2014Open access
Jimmy Huang, Jimmy Huang, Sue Newell, Jingsong Huang, Jingsong Huang, Shan L. Pan
Citations41
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TL;DR
It is explained how the phenomenon of site-shifting can serve as the new conceptual ground to develop and enact the practice of ambidexterity, and the importance of IT is brought to the fore in achieving an ambideXterity capability.
Abstract
Ambidexterity, defined as the capability to simultaneously explore knowledge to identify new market opportunities and exploit knowledge to capitalise on a firm's existing niches, is considered to be crucial in todays competitive marketplace. However, there is relatively limited research on how such a capability can be developed, and even less on the role of IT-enabled practices in promoting this. Drawing on the strategy-as-practice perspective, we investigate how interrelationships amongst practitioners, IT-enabled practices and praxis create a particular site of practice. More importantly, we consider how a site gets shifted over time through the emergence of changes in the interrelationships between practices, practitioners and praxis in conjunction with exploiting affordances offered by the use of different types of IT. Building on the findings derived from a case study of DaM 1 , the leading ticketing company in China, we explain how the phenomenon of site-shifting can provide a useful conceptual lens for explaining ambidexterity. In doing this, we bring to the fore the importance of IT in achieving an ambidexterity capability.
Keywords
Business, Management and Accounting
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