Linking ambidextrous forms of leadership, knowledge, organisational cultures and learning by higher education institutions: Insights from a survey of administrators

ABSTRACT

This article aims to examine the relationship between ambidextrous organisational cultures and ambidextrous learning by higher education institutions, and to scrutinise how the ambidextrous leadership and knowledge of these institutions relate to their ambidextrous cultures. Survey data from 474 university administrators within the Gulf Cooperation Council region, serve as the basis for empirical insights based on structural equation modelling. Survey responses show significant and positive correlation between ambidextrous organisational culture and ambidextrous learning, and additionally reveal that ambidextrous knowledge and ambidextrous leadership significantly and positively relate to ambidextrous organisational cultures. By including ambidextrous forms of culture, leadership, and knowledge constructs to explain ambidextrous learning by organisations, this study makes contributions to organisational ambidexterity theory. Theoretically, this article adds to understanding on the determinants of ambidextrous learning by providing evidence of a culture-learning praxis, while managerially, the article urges for ambidextrous culture-oriented approaches to academic staff development.

KEYWORDS:

• Ambidextrous organisational cultures
• ambidextrous learning
• leadership
• knowledge
• GCC region
• higher education

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Kuwait Civil Service Bureau.

Notes on contributors

Sharifah Alkhamees

Sharifah AlKhammes recently completed her PhD in Innovation Management at the Arabian Gulf University in Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain. She is currently a university administrative coordinator and has research interests in educational development, innovation in higher education, and organisational ambidexterity.

Christopher M. Durugbo

Christopher M. Durugbo is Director for the Faculty of Business and Management at Muscat University in the Sultanate of Oman, and has research interests in technology management and innovation. Dr Durugbo has published findings from his research in several journals such as Computers & Education, Education and Information Technologies, and Technological Forecasting and Social Change.