ALIEN HAND SYNDROME OR AMBIDEXTERITY? MULTIPLE CASE STUDY ON START-UPS

Year 2022, Volume: 13 Issue: Kongre Özel Sayısı, 1 - 23, 16.06.2022

Handan Deniz Böyükaslan , Belkıs Özkara

https://doi.org/10.36543/kauiibfd.2022.ozelsayi1

Cited By: 2

Abstract

One of the most critical problems affecting the survival of start-ups is that R&D projects cannot turn into income-generating products in a short time, or the projects take longer than expected. To overcome this problem, start-ups need to balance innovation and survival skills. In other words, they need to be ambidextrous. In this direction, the study aims to reveal how start-ups survive in R&D project investments that take a long time to turn into an innovation. In this context, multiple case studies from qualitative research methods were preferred in the study. Four start-ups were examined. The data were obtained from semi-structured interviews with five people, four firm managers and, one employee. The findings show that start-ups have difficulties maintaining the balance between innovation and survivability due to limited resources. In other words, start-ups are not exposed to the alien hand syndrome, and they act ambidextrous, even if it is difficult. In addition, it has been determined that start-ups have turned to different areas that generate income in an easy and fast way to be ambidextrous. 

Keywords

Organizational ambidexterity, Start-ups, Alien hand syndrome

YABANCI EL SENDROMU MU ÇİFT YÖNLÜLÜK MÜ? START-UPLAR ÜZERİNE ÇOKLU ÖRNEK OLAY ÇALIŞMASI

Abstract

Ar-Ge projelerinin gelir getiren ürünlere kısa sürede dönüşememesi veya projelerin beklenenden uzun sürmesi start-uplar için hayatta kalmayı etkileyen en önemli problemlerden birisidir. Bu problemin üstesinden gelmek için, start-upların inovasyon ve hayatta kalma becerileri arasında denge sağlamaları, diğer bir ifadeyle çift yönlü davranmaları gerekir. Bu doğrultuda çalışma, start-upların inovasyona dönüşmesi uzun süren Ar-Ge proje yatırımlarında nasıl hayatta kaldıklarını açığa çıkarmayı amaçlamaktadır. Bu kapsamda, çalışmada, nitel araştırma yöntemlerinden çoklu örnek olay tercih edilmiştir. Örnek olay olarak dört start-up incelenmiştir. Veriler dört firma yöneticisi ve bir firma çalışanı olmak üzere beş kişiyle yapılan yarı yapılandırılmış görüşmelerden elde edilmiştir. Bulgular, start-upların sınırlı kaynaklara sahip olmasından dolayı inovasyon ve hayatta kalma becerisi arasındaki dengeyi sağlamada zorluklar yaşadıklarını göstermektedir. Diğer bir ifadeyle, start-uplar yabanı el sendromuna maruz kalmayıp, zor da olsa çift yönlü davranmaktadırlar. Ayrıca, start-upların çift yönlü olmak için kolay ve hızlı yoldan gelir getiren farklı alanlara yöneldikleri tespit edilmiştir.

Keywords

Örgütsel çift yönlülük, Start-uplar, Yabancı el sendromu

References

• Aldianto, L., Anggadwita, G., Permatasari, A., Mirzanti, I. R., & Williamson, I. O. (2021). Toward a Business Resilience Framework for Startups. Sustainability, 13(6), 1-19.
• Alina, B. (2011). Start-up financing sources: Does gender matter? Some evidence for EU and Romania. The Annals of the University of Oradea, 207, 644-9.
• Balboni, B., Bortoluzzi, G., Pugliese, R., & Tracogna, A. (2019). Business model evolution, contextual ambidexterity and the growth performance of high-tech start-ups. Journal of Business Research, 99, 115-124.
• Biran, I., Giovannetti, T., Buxbaum, L., & Chatterjee, A. (2006). The alien hand syndrome: What makes the alien hand alien?. Cognitive Neuropsychology, 23(4), 563-582.
• Birkinshaw, J. M., & Gibson, C. (2005). The ambidextrous organization. Advanced Institute of Management Research, Birmingham, UK.
• Birkinshaw, J., Zimmermann, A., & Raisch, S. (2016). How do firms adapt to discontinuous change? Bridging the dynamic capabilities and ambidexterity perspectives. California Management Review, 58(4), 36-58.
• Braun, V. & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3, 77-101.
• Cao, Q., Gedajlovic, E., & Zhang, H. (2009). Unpacking organizational ambidexterity: Dimensions, contingencies, and synergistic effects. Organization Science, 20(4), 781-796.
• Cho, M., Bonn, M. A., & Han, S. J. (2020). Innovation ambidexterity: balancing exploitation and exploration for startup and established restaurants and impacts upon performance. Industry and Innovation, 27(4), 340-362.
• Creswell, J.W. (2007). Oualitative Inquiry&Research Design Choosing Among Five Approaches. 2nd Edition. London: Sage Publications.
• Du, W., Pan, S. L., & Zuo, M. (2013). How to balance sustainability and profitability in technology organizations: An ambidextrous perspective. IEEE Transactions on Engineering Management, 60(2), 366-385.
• Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) (2021). 2020/2021 Global Report. Global Entrepreneurship Research Association, London.
• Jansen, J. J., Van den Bosch, F. A., & Volberda, H. W. (2005). Exploratory innovation, exploitative innovation, and ambidexterity: The impact of environmental and organizational antecedents. Schmalenbach Business Review, 57(4), 351-363.
• https://evrimagaci.org/yabanci-el-sendromu-bilincimiz-gercekten-ozgur-mu-666, Erişim Tarihi: 12.05.2021
• Klein, M., Neitzert, F., Hartmann-Wendels, T., & Kraus, S. (2019). Start-up financing in the digital age–a systematic review and comparison of new forms of financing. The Journal of Entrepreneurial Finance, 21(2), 46-98.
• Korpysa, J. (2021). Process ambidexterity in startups innovation. Management Systems in Production Engineering, 29 (1), 27-32.
• March, J. G. (1991). Exploration and exploitation in organizational learning. Organization Science, 2(1), 71-87.
• Müller, E., & Zimmermann, V. (2009). The importance of equity finance for R&D activity. Small Business Economics, 33(3), 303-318.
• O'Reilly III, C. A., & Tushman, M. L. (2011). Organizational ambidexterity in action: How managers explore and exploit. California Management Review, 53(4), 5-22.
• O'Reilly III, C. A., & Tushman, M. L. (2013). Organizational ambidexterity: Past, present, and future. Academy of Management Perspectives, 27(4), 324-338.
• Panikkath, R., Panikkath, D., Mojumder, D., & Nugent, K. (2014). The alien hand syndrome. Baylor University Medical Center Proceedings, 27 (3), 219-220.
• Passaro, R., Quinto, I., Rippa, P., & Thomas, A. (2020). Evolution of Collaborative Networks Supporting Startup Sustainability: Evidences from Digital Firms. Sustainability, 12(22), 9437.
• Petru, N., Pavlák, M., & Polák, J. (2019). Factors impacting startup sustainability in the Czech Republic. Innovative Marketing, 15 (3), 1-15. Raisch, S., & Birkinshaw, J. (2008). Organizational ambidexterity: Antecedents, outcomes, and moderators. Journal of Management, 34 (3): 375-409.
• Raisch, S., Birkinshaw, J., Probst, G., & Tushman, M. L. (2009). Organizational ambidexterity: Balancing exploitation and exploration for sustained performance. Organization Science, 20 (4), 685-695.
• Schilling, M. A. (2019). Strategic management of technological innovation. McGraw-Hill Education.
• Schreuders, J., & Legesse, A. (2012). Organizational ambidexterity: How small technology firms balance innovation and support. Technology Innovation Management Review, 2(2), 17-21.
• Sinha, S. (2015). The exploration–exploitation dilemma: A review in the context of managing growth of new ventures. Vikalpa, 40(3), 313-323.
• Sorum, H.. (2013). Clinical Trials, Innovation and Approaches to Ambidexterity in Pharmaceutical Startup Companies. Master's thesis. University of Oslo.
• Stucki, T. (2014). Success of start-up firms: The role of financial constraints. Industrial and Corporate Change, 23(1), 25-64.
• Tushman, M. L., & O'Reilly III, C. A. (1996). Ambidextrous organizations: Managing evolutionary and revolutionary change. California Management Review, 38(4): 8-29.
• Vishwanath, K. R. (2018). An empirical examination of startup success: Studies on the antecedents and consequences of startup relational embeddedness and technology ambidexterity. Doctoral dissertation, University of Wisconsin—Whitewater.
• Volery, T., Mueller, S., & Von Siemens, B. (2015). Entrepreneur ambidexterity: A study of entrepreneur behaviours and competencies in growth-oriented small and medium-sized enterprises. International Small Business Journal, 33(2), 109-129.
• Xu, C. (2019). How do startups integrate strategies to achieve ambidexterity? Evidence from the Chinese education-technology industry. Doctoral dissertation. Michigan Ross.
• Yin, R.K. (2002). Case Study Research Design and Methods. 3rd Edition. London: Sage Publications.
• Zhang, S. X., Pertuze, J., & Carrasco, J. A. (2019). From A Blank Slate to Ambidexterity. Working Paper.