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Behavioural ambidexterity: effects on individual wellbeing and high performance work in academia

  • Ani Raiden
    ,
  • Christine Raisanen
    ,
  • Gail Kinman
Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Open access

Abstract

Academic work demands behavioural ambidexterity: the ability to simultaneously demonstrate exploration (creativity in research and/or in innovative teaching and learning practice) and exploitation (compliance with quality assurance). However, little is known about the effects of behavioural ambidexterity on the well-being of individual employees. We explore the experiences of men working in academic roles at universities in Sweden and the UK. More specifically, we examine the relations between behavioural ambidexterity and perceptions of well-being using an interpretative approach based on narrative analysis. Despite societal differences between Sweden and the UK, academics in both countries felt ill-equipped to fulfil the demands for ambidexterity. This resulted in mixed performance outcomes with serious implications for well-being. We identify and discuss the influence of personal circumstances and the role of agency in work design as two key antecedents of positive well-being outcomes.

Publication Information

Output type

Research Output: Contribution to journal Article Peer-review

Original language

English

Pages from-to (Number of pages)

Pages 568-582

Journal (Volume, Issue Number)

Journal of Further and Higher Education (Volume 44, Issue 4)

Publication milestones

  • Accepted/In press - 08/04/2019
  • Published - 08/04/2019

Publication status

Published - 08/04/2019

ISSN

0309-877X

External Publication IDs

  • handle.net: 10547/623234
  • Scopus: 85063989839

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