Building Design-led Ambidexterity in Big Companies

Abstract

Organisational ambidexterity is considered a crucial capability for long term firm survival and development. However, adopting and successfully implementing it presents multiple challenges. Furthermore, despite being increasingly popular in the last two decades, the role design can play in achieving it is notably missing from the discussion. This paper analyses the attempts to accelerate the innovation pace of two large international companies in the consumer electronics and healthcare and airline industries. Both attempt to combine design and agile elements in fast-paced environments, while working in multidisciplinary teams early in the NPD process. However, one is guided by designers, the other by people with a background in operational functions. As such, they provide a good foundation to study design’s role and its implications in achieving ambidexterity in two large international companies. The collected insights helped us to define a new form of ambidexterity and devise a model for building ambidextrous organisations through design.