book :Balancing Exploration and Exploitation by Creating Organizational Think Tanks


Table of contents
Foreword V
Preface VII
Table of contents IX
Table of figures XI
1 Introduction 1
1.1 Problem definition 1
1.2 Research objectives 6
1.3 Course of investigation8
2 Problems and concepts of R&D alignment11
2.1. Exploration vs. exploitation11
2.1.1 Exploration and exploitation in organizational learning12
2.1.1.1 Mutual leaning and the exploration vs. exploitation trade-off13
2.1.1.2 Competition for primacy and the exploration vs. exploitation trade-off 15
2.1.1.3 Introducing interpersonal learning and tacit knowledge to March 1991 18
2.1.2 The productivity dilemma21
2.1.2.1 Coevolutionary lock-in24
2.1.2.2 Absorptive capacity25
2.1.2.3 Organizational routines27
2.2 Ambidexterity and punctuated equilibrium30
2.2.1 Ambidexterity30
2.2.2 Punctuated equilibrium33
2.2.3 Ambidexterity vs. punctuated equilibrium35
2.3 Interorganizational ambidexterity39
3 Shifting think tanks from the macro- to a meso-level45
3.1 Political think tank concepts45
3.1.1 Traditional think tank concepts46
3.1.2 Modern think tank concepts49
3.1.3 Think tanks and societal ambidexterity50
3.2 (Inter-)organizational exploration concepts53
3.2.1. Individual organization level exploration concepts55
3.2.1.1 Radical innovation55
3.2.1.2 Skunkworks58 X
3.2.1.3 Bell Labs59
3.2.1.4 Distinguished engineers61
3.2.1.5 Comments on intraorganizational exploration64
3.2.2 interorganizational level exploration concepts65
3.2.2.1 Open innovation66
3.2.2.2 Organizational networks as strategic alliances70
3.3 Organizational think tanks82
3.3.1 Organizational think tank structures82
3.3.2 Organizational think tanks vs. intraorganizational exploration90
3.3.3 Organizational think tanks vs. interorganizational exploration92
4 Critical issues of the organizational think tank approach95
4.1 Discussing organizational think tanks95
4.2 knowledge governance100
4.2.1 Knowledge governance challenges in the org. think tank approach101
4.2.2 The charm of governing knowledge in an org. think tank approach104
4.3 Management recommendations109
5 Conclusion115
5.1 Summary, conclusion & criticism115
5.2 Suggestions for further research118
Bibliography121 XI
Table of figures
Figure 1: The summarized framework of the paper10
Figure 2: The scope of ambidextrous organizations31
Figure 3: Single domain mutual exclusivity of exploration and exploitation40
Figure 4: Orthogonality between exploration and exploitation at a multi-level40
Figure 5: R&D Management System57
Figure 6: Interorganizational networks – between market and hierarchy73
Figure 7: Organizational think tank concept87
Figure 8: Knowledge governance102