Integrating ambidexterity and family governance for business model innovation: a case study

In recent years, scholars have increasingly debated organizational ambidexterity and its influence on the entrepreneurial strategies of family firms. However, little research to date has addressed the link with corporate governance processes even though they significantly affect the strategies and entrepreneurial paths of family businesses. This research, through a process perspective, investigates how and why organizational ambidexterity interacts with corporate governance and influences the business model innovation process. Drawing on a single case study approach, we investigated a family firm involved in the production of cured meats and sausages in the food industry. We found that family governance and ambidexterity mutually condition each other by determining adjustments in governance balances and practices to carry forward exploration choices and consolidating exploitation activities to strengthen the resilience and continuity of the family firm. The interaction between ambidexterity and governance processes contributes to the innovation of the business model, consistent with the dynamic balance between innovation and tradition distinctive of family firms.