Dynamic client portfolios as sources of ambidexterity:exploration and exploitation within and across client relationships

Abstract

This paper explains how dynamic client portfolios can be a source of ambidexterity (i.e., exploration and exploitation) for knowledge-intensive firms (KIFs). Drawing from a unique qualitative dataset of firms in the global reinsurance market, we show how different types of client relationships underpin a dynamic client portfolio and become a source of ambidexterity for a KIF. We develop a process model to show how KIFs attain knowledge by segmenting their client portfolios, use that knowledge to explore and exploit within and across their client relationships, and dynamically adjust their client portfolios over time. Our study contributes to the literature on external sources of ambidexterity and dynamic management of client knowledge within KIFs.

Publication DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lrp.2015.12.003
Divisions: College of Business and Social Sciences > Aston Business School > Marketing & Strategy
Additional Information: © 2015, Elsevier. Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ Funding: ESRC (ES/K00926/1; RES-186-27-0020; RES-173-27-0163); British Academy of Management (SG091192) Insurance Intellectual Capital Initiative, Worshipful Company of Insurers, and Lloyd's Tercentennary Foundation.
Uncontrolled Keywords: Strategy and Management,Finance,Geography, Planning and Development
Publication ISSN: 1873-1872
Last Modified: 04 Mar 2024 08:15
Date Deposited: 28 Jan 2016 13:30
Full Text Link:
Related URLs: http://www.scop ... tnerID=8YFLogxK (Scopus URL)
PURE Output Type: Article
Published Date: 2016-06
Published Online Date: 2015-12-24
Accepted Date: 2015-12-23
Authors: Bednarek, Rebecca
Burke, Gary (ORCID Profile 0000-0002-1625-8095)
Jarzabkowski, Paula
Smets, Michael

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