Hybrid ambidexterity in platform-based software development: an empirical investigation

Abstract

Purpose This research examines how platform development organizations address tensions arising from the separation of platform and product development teams. Specifically, we explore how these organizations blend structural and contextual ambidexterity, by using boundary spanning to achieve a form of hybrid ambidexterity. Design/methodology/approach We conducted a multi-site field study of three platform-based software development organizations, chosen through theoretical sampling. We collected qualitative data through interviews of stakeholders at various organizational levels, including project managers, developers, CIOs, architects and directors, as well as through observations of workshop activities. Data collection and analysis activities were intertwined. Findings We found three boundary-spanning practices at the micro-foundational level that enabled organizations to achieve hybrid ambidexterity in a platform-based software development environment. Our balancing practices provide concrete guidance on how to regulate participant behavior, striking a balance between setting necessary boundaries and allowing sufficient generativity. Originality/value Our findings reveal how teams, through their boundary-spanning practices, engender fluidity in boundary objects to enhance the understanding of root causes of tensions and resolve them. Unlike prior research, which has examined this phenomenon at higher organizational levels, our study sheds light on how, at the micro-foundational individual and team levels, team members span boundaries and achieve a balance in platform control and flexibility.