"Exploration, Exploitation, and Financial Performance: The Long-Term Ad" by Georgi Aleksandrov Kirov

Date of Award

5-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA)

Department

Bisk College of Business

First Advisor

Charles E. Bryant

Second Advisor

Abram L. J. Walton

Third Advisor

Alina Malkova

Fourth Advisor

Wanfa Zhang

Abstract

Researchers have advanced ambidexterity as an effective organizational strategy to cope with environmental and technological change. The use of divergent and incompatible core construct conceptualizations, overreliance on cross-sectional and perceptual performance measures, and persistent scarcity of longitudinal examinations have undermined empirical conclusions that ambidexterity works. This study seeks to ascertain whether ambidexterity enhances long-term financial performance under environmental conditions of munificence, dynamism, and external potential slack.

The study deploys a novel operationalization of the ambidexterity concept and develops company portfolios to compare the financial results of ambidextrous firms and their rivals. Based on a 25-year data set, the research finds that ambidextrous businesses outperform on the dimensions of EBIT margin, net income margin, and return on assets. Descriptive statistics analyses of multiple financial performance indicators add to the picture of the ambidextrous companies’ outperformance across time and various outcome measures.

Comments

Copyright is held by author.

Available for download on Monday, November 10, 2025

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