How does technology sourcing in organizational ambidexterity produce high venture performance?

Abstract

Purpose

Based on a theoretical framework of ambidexterity in technology sourcing beyond organizational and technological boundaries, this study aims to explore how start-ups balance technology sourcing in organizational ambidexterity (TSOA) to produce high venture performance.

Design/methodology/approach

A questionnaire survey is distributed among start-ups in the science and technology park of a university in eastern China, producing a total of 45 valid responses. The fuzzy-set approach to qualitative comparative analysis is used in this study.

Findings

The findings show that start-ups achieve high venture performance through external technology sourcing (external exploration and exploitation) in the initial stage. In the growth stage, start-ups adopt external and internal technology sourcing (internal exploration and exploitation) to produce high venture performance. The technology sourcing strategy in ambidextrous activity for start-ups is punctuated equilibrium and evolving from the external ambidexterity to internally and externally coordinate ambidexterity at entrepreneurial stages.

Originality/value

This study creatively adopts configuration-based thinking to investigate how to balance TSOA for high venture performance, extending the literature on technology sourcing and contributing to the balance theory of exploration and exploitation.

Citation

Su, T., Yu, Y., Li, Y. and Zhang, J. (2023), "How does technology sourcing in organizational ambidexterity produce high venture performance?", Chinese Management Studies, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 573-593. https://doi.org/10.1108/CMS-07-2021-0279