The impact of ambidexterity in supply chain capabilities on manufacturing performance: examples from the global semiconductor industry

As environmental complexity and economic turbulence continue to rise, an organisation's ability to quickly and continually respond to changing market conditions is increasingly important and heavily reliant on those supply chain capabilities that enable the firm to communicate with their chain partners, streamline supply chain operations and quickly respond to unforeseen industry changes. This responsiveness means that firms must be able to simultaneously balance the conflicting tensions associated with managing existing and growth product markets in a timely fashion. Using the concept of ambidexterity, this conceptual study examines the impacts that a manufacturer's ambidextrous supply chain technological capability has on its supply chain integration and ambidexterity in supply chain responsiveness, and ultimately on its performance. Propositions are given, with each one being accompanied by an example from the global semiconductor industry. Lastly, contributions, research limitations, and research and managerial implications are discussed.