Nesting Ambidexterity Strategies in High-security Contexts

On the basis of an explorative qualitative study in Colombia and Mexico over a three-year period, we propose a process model of nesting ambidexterity strategies in high-security risk context. Our model suggest that this process unfolds through three junctions: interaction, collaboration, and adaptation. The model recognizes line managers (LMs) as key players in designing and implementing organizational and human resource management (HRM) ambidexterity strategies in multinational corporations (MNCs). Our novel findings indicate that armed conflicts forced organizations, HR departments and LMs to strategically exploit security measures to protect firm assets while implementing innovative explorative strategies to improve employee work conditions, survive in unsafe environments and remain internationally competitive. We advanced our knowledge of ambidexterity theory in the Western context by providing novel perspectives and a robust framework for examining employment relationships.