Predicting Organizational Ambidexterity from Knowledge Management Capability and Strategic Flexibility: The Mediating Role of Organizational Learning
Keywords:
Organizational Ambidexterity, Knowledge Management Capability, Strategic Flexibility, Organizational Learning, Structural Equation ModelingAbstract
Objective: This study aimed to predict organizational ambidexterity based on knowledge management capability and strategic flexibility and to examine the mediating role of organizational learning in these relationships.
Methods and Materials: This quantitative, cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted among 312 employees and managers working in medium-sized and large organizations in Canada. Participants were recruited through convenience and professional network sampling and completed standardized self-report measures assessing knowledge management capability, strategic flexibility, organizational learning, and organizational ambidexterity. Data were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients, confirmatory factor analysis, and structural equation modeling. The measurement model was evaluated through factor loadings, Cronbach’s alpha, composite reliability, average variance extracted, and standard goodness-of-fit indices. Mediation effects were tested using bootstrapping with 5,000 resamples, and statistical significance was set at p < .05.
Findings: Knowledge management capability significantly predicted organizational learning (β = .43, p < .001) and organizational ambidexterity (β = .22, p = .001). Strategic flexibility also significantly predicted organizational learning (β = .38, p < .001) and organizational ambidexterity (β = .27, p < .001). Organizational learning had a significant positive effect on organizational ambidexterity (β = .41, p < .001). The indirect effect of knowledge management capability on organizational ambidexterity through organizational learning was significant (β = .18, 95% CI [.12, .25], p < .001), as was the indirect effect of strategic flexibility through organizational learning (β = .16, 95% CI [.10, .22], p < .001). The model explained 52% of the variance in organizational learning and 64% of the variance in organizational ambidexterity.
Conclusion: Knowledge management capability and strategic flexibility are important predictors of organizational ambidexterity, and organizational learning partially mediates both relationships, indicating that organizations are more likely to achieve ambidexterity when they effectively manage knowledge, remain strategically adaptable, and convert these capabilities into continuous learning processes.
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