Balancing Tradition and Innovation in Family-Owned Businesses: Innovation Ambidexterity

This study examines how family-owned businesses pursue innovation ambidexterity while preserving the traditions, values, and socioemotional commitments that often define family enterprise identity. Drawing on a structured literature review of family business, organizational ambidexterity, innovation, governance, and succession literature, the paper uses thematic analysis to synthesize recurring challenges, enabling strategies, and organizational outcomes. The analysis identifies three interrelated theme clusters. First, family firms face innovation constraints associated with resistance to change, intergenerational tension, concentrated decision authority, communication complexity, limited external knowledge flows, and resource allocation concerns. Second, successful innovation ambidexterity is supported by strategic visionary leadership, adaptive governance, external partnerships, research and development investment, innovation-oriented succession planning, human capital development, and the effective use of social capital. Third, innovation contributes to competitiveness, resilience, cultural renewal, and long-term continuity when it is integrated with rather than detached from family identity. The study contributes a synthesized framework for understanding innovation ambidexterity in family-owned businesses and offers practical recommendations for aligning tradition with strategic renewal.