Stimulating employee ambidexterity and employee engagement in SMEs

Purpose: This study contributes to the emerging theory of ambidexterity by developing measures to assess employee ambidexterity. Specifically, it identifies and tests the importance of the relationship between the organisational context and employee ambidexterity within Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs). Design/methodology/approach: The research used a survey method to investigate small-and medium sized enterprises in Nigeria. 200 Small and Medium-sized Enterprises were selected from across Nigeria to participate in the study and 72 companies responded, representing a 36% response rate. The study sample comprised 398 shop-floor employees from 72 Small and Medium-sized Manufacturing and Service Organisations. Findings: The paper tests a model that sheds insight into the linkages between the organisational context, employee ambidexterity and employee engagement. Specifically, our model portrays significant relationships that exist between organisational context, employee ambidexterity, and employee engagement. The results show that understanding the appropriate organisational contexts improves employee ambidexterity. Therefore, SMEs with the appropriate organisational contexts for employee ambidexterity and employee engagement will increase their potential for growth and survival. Originality/value: The paper develops a conceptual model of the organisational context that improves employee ambidexterity and employee engagement