The Role of HRM in Building Organisational Ambidexterity: Evidence from Technology-Intensive Firms in Nigeria

This study theorises and empirically tests the mechanisms through which HRM enables organisational ambidexterity, the simultaneous pursuit of exploitation and exploration activities, in technology-intensive firms in Nigeria. Organisational ambidexterity is increasingly recognised as a critical capability for sustained competitive advantage in dynamic technology markets, yet the HRM foundations of ambidexterity remain theoretically underdeveloped, particularly in emerging economy contexts. The study employs a mixed-methods sequential design: Phase 1 uses abductive qualitative analysis from 30 in-depth interviews with HR directors and innovation leaders in 15 Nigerian technology firms to generate theoretical propositions. Phase 2 tests these propositions using survey data from 260 managers and employees across 22 firms, analysed through SEM with latent variable modelling. The Dynamic Capabilities Framework, HR Systems Theory, and Ambidexterity Theory provide multi-disciplinary theoretical grounding. Findings from Phase 1 reveal that HR enables ambidexterity through three mechanisms: talent architecture differentiation between exploitation and exploration units, knowledge boundary-spanning HR practices that connect the two units, and ambidextrous leadership development. Phase 2 SEM confirms all three mechanisms as significant paths to measured ambidexterity outcomes. The study also demonstrates that HR function ambidexterity, the capacity of the HR function itself to simultaneously manage efficient transactional delivery and strategic innovation support, is a meta-capability that amplifies all three mechanisms. Original theoretical contributions include the HR-Ambidexterity Enabling Model and the HR Function Ambidexterity Construct. Keywords: Organisational Ambidexterity, HRM, Technology Firms, Dynamic Capabilities, Nigeria.