Exploring challenges of driving innovation in an established firm A case study of explorative initiatives

Abstract

Ambidextrous organizations that successfully manage to balance exploration and exploitation prove to succeed in establishing a long term viability for their business. Tetra Pak, and more specifically their Services department, aims to pursue organizational ambidexterity in differ ent ways, where one initiative called Fast Forward Services encompasses the challenges and opportunities of ambidexterity by introducing exploration. As the initiative, driven by trainees, aimed to challenge the status quo in terms of facilitating grassroot innovation through an Innovation Challenge, it is the epitome of exploring in an established firm. Thereby, the thesis focuses on how the initiative relates to Services ability to become increasingly ambidextrous, and what factors that affect the development and outcome of the initiative. Through conducting 22 semi-structured interviews with employees within different or ganizational levels of Tetra Pak, patterns that thematic analysis showcased could portray the various aspects of driving ambidextrous initiatives in an established firm, thereby answering the research questions. Results from the thesis shows that established companies struggle with organizational ambidexterity, as their strong exploitative capabilities that generated their success becomes a hindrance for exploration. Aspects for established companies to consider in pursuit of strengthened ambidexterity are discussed, where clear visions and commitment from man agement combined with increased learning culture are significant areas to consider for managerial practices. These recommendations can be applied to, not only the analyzed initiative and Innovation Challenge, but also for further ambidextrous efforts that established firms may pursue.