Juggling markets and products: How does ambidexterity impact export performance?

Lisboa, Ana, Skarmeas, Dionysis and Robson, Matthew ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8642-9980 2025. Juggling markets and products: How does ambidexterity impact export performance? Journal of International Marketing Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

Despite its practical relevance for internationalizing firms, organizational ambidexterity has received limited attention in international marketing research. Existing literature largely focuses on ambidexterity within a single functional domain and reports inconsistent evidence regarding its performance outcomes. We advance knowledge by capturing contingent performance effects of exporting firms’ ambidexterity in both market and product development domains. We test sequential forms of ambidexterity and their effects on performance using self-reported ambidexterity measures and lagged, objective performance data. The findings reveal that market ambidexterity enhances product development ambidexterity, which subsequently contributes to return on sales (ROS), but not to sales growth. Interestingly, market ambidexterity has a direct negative effect on ROS, yet a positive indirect influence through product ambidexterity; indicating a suppression effect. Knowledge leverage capability strengthens the relationship between market and product ambidexterity. Additionally, the performance impact of product ambidexterity is contingent: perceived market opportunity prevents it from eroding sales growth, while the degree of internationalization amplifies its contribution to ROS. These findings underscore the complex, domain-specific, and conditional nature of ambidexterity’s performance implications in export settings.

Item Type:	Article
Status:	In Press
Schools:	Schools > Business (Including Economics)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HF Commerce
Publisher:	SAGE Publications
ISSN:	1069-031X
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	3 December 2025
Date of Acceptance:	2 December 2025
Last Modified:	04 Dec 2025 11:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/182878

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