Top management team attributes, bricolage and ambidexterity in small and medium-sized enterprises

Research on organizational ambidexterity has introduced various approaches for organizations to combine exploratory and exploitative activities. Yet, these approaches are often not feasible for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This study attempts to develop our understanding of how SMEs can achieve ambidexterity by advancing a resource management perspective. We introduce entrepreneurial bricolage as a means through which SMEs can overcome their resource limitations in a pro-active way and pursue both exploratory and exploitative activities. We use a cross-industry sample of SMEs and find that bricolage contributes to the emergence of ambidexterity. Additionally, we show that the networking ability and cognitive diversity enable TMTs to engage in bricolage. Overall, we provide novel insights into how SMEs may reduce resource constraints associated with the pursuit of ambidexterity.

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