Contextual Ambidexterity and Just-in-Time as Nurtures of Continuous Improvement and Innovation

This paper seeks to shed some light on the relationship between continuous improvement and innovation in lean manufacturing settings. Drawing on the literature on organizational ambidexterity and lean management, we propose a model where contextual ambidexterity and JIT simultaneously balance innovation and continuous improvement. We test the model on an international database using structural equation modeling. Results show that continuous improvement and innovation can coexist within those plants that simultaneously nurture organizational ambidexterity and implement JIT techniques. We also show the positive performance implications of such a strategy.