The influence of individual and organizational ambidexterity on their interpretations of the workplace

Previous research has demonstrated that different ways of interpreting the same stimulus can result in significantly different behaviors of and outcomes for the interpreters. This paper analyzes how employees interpret their workplaces from the perspective of the concept of “ambidexterity,” which is a part of the organizational learning theory. An analysis of the questionnaire survey data collected from 1,650 white-collar full-time employees in the Tokyo metropolitan region of Japan indicated that (a) there was a significant positive correlation between exploitation and exploration; (b) contrary to previous perceptions, no trade-off relationship was observed between the two, and (c) the “ambidexterity” group—which exhibited high levels of exploitation and exploration—tended to interpret the office as a place for “communication,” while the “neither” group—which exhibited a low levels of both these variables—tended to view the office as a place for “concentration.