Knowledge workers, organisational ambidexterity and sustainability: a conceptual framework

In this paper, we highlight that ambidextrous organisations are more likely to achieve organisational sustainability which is a growing concern in the current volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous (VUCA) environment. Ambidextrous organisations can achieve sustainability through exploration and exploitation using three approaches, that is, sequential, structural and contextual. Knowledge workers comprising the top management team, senior leaders and other employees play an important role in choosing the approaches to organisational ambidexterity and therefore, to organisational performance and organisational sustainability. We further suggest that this process is influenced by strategy, structure and culture in the organisations. Thus, this paper adds to the literature on organisational ambidexterity and sustainability by proposing a conceptual framework.