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The ambidexterity and dynamic capabilities (DCs) literature have contributed to strategic management discussions that seek to explain how firms achieve and sustain competitive advantages. However, few papers are devoted to understanding how they interrelate at Teece’s (2007) micro-foundations of sensing, seizing, and reconfiguring capabilities level. To fill these gaps, we investigate previous works on strategy and organization theories which discuss the ambidexterity-DCs relationship through a systematic literature review complemented by using a snowball technique and then propose a conceptual framework. Review of the literature that integrates the two approaches shows that authors usually understand ambidexterity as a DC. Also, our framework reveals convergent elements between the two kinds of literature, such as learning; sources of information; organizational design; management of scarce resources; increase of resources through outsourcing and alliances; the role of top managers and teams’ participation in decisions; and the relevance of asset specialization and organizational governance. This article aims to contribute to the literature by synthesizing early work relating ambidexterity and DCs; proposing a conceptual framework based on DCs’ micro-foundations; and identifying avenues for future research.

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ResumoEste artigo apresenta uma relação empírica entre exploração, explotação e mecanismos de coordenação organizacional, classificados como centralização de tomada de decisão, formalização e conectividade. Para analisar os resultados desta survey, nós utilizamos duas técnicas: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) e Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM). Nossa análise foi baseada nas respostas de 249 gestores de empresas localizadas no Brasil (amostragem por conveniência). Contrário às nossas expectativas, centralização e explotação se associaram com sinal negativo. Nossos dados revelaram que a formalização se associou positivamente com explotação. Embora a relação entre formalização e exploração tenha sido considerada significante, o resultado foi contrário à hipótese de pesquisa enunciada. Os relacionamentos entre conectividade e explotação e conectividade com exploração foram considerados positivos e significantes. Este relacionamento significa que quanto mais aumenta a conectividade, maior é a probabilidade de ocorrer exploração e explotação.Palavras-chave: centralização; formalização; conectividade; exploração; explotação. AbstractThis paper presents an empirical relationship among exploration, exploitation, and organizational coordination mechanisms, classified as the centralization of decision-making, formalization, and connectedness. In order to analyze the findings of this survey, we used two techniques: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares Path Modeling (PLS-PM). Our analysis was supported by 249 answers from managers of companies located in Brazil (convenience sampling). Contrary to expectations, centralization and exploitation were negatively associated. Our data supports the research hypothesis that formalization is positively associated with exploitation. Although the relationship between formalization and exploration were significant, the result is contrary to the research hypothesis that we made. The relationships among connectedness and exploitation, and connectedness and exploration were both positive and significant. This relationship means that the more connectedness increases, the higher the likelihood of exploitation and exploration.

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The purpose of this research is to establish a conceptual framework that contributes to explaining sustained competitive advantage, forming an analytical framework that brings the resource-based view and organizational analysis' neoinstitutional approaches closer together. A detailed epistemological articulation has been undertaken to advance the understanding of strategy and competitive advantage in organizations, aggregating contribution to the literature with the proposal of a theoretical model that steadily articulates elements from organizational institutionalism and the resource-based view. Hence, the major contribution is to associate the resource-based view and organizational analysis' neoinstitutional theory as a means to reformulate the notion of institutional isomorphism, and have a potential new explanation for organizational diversity and the existence of organizations that are more capable of generating (or maximize) value than others. In its formulation, the similarity among organizations in their fields provides the baseline for organizational performance. Thus, it is from this baseline level that organizations would then be able to differentiate themselves and generate sustainable competitive advantage through active and selective response to different institutional pressures.

Purpose This study aims to measure the influence of the barriers present in the knowledge transfer at the sales process, by the franchisor to the franchisee, in language schools in the São Paulo/SP city, Brazil. The theoretical aspects include the transfer of knowledge displayed through communication model and barriers inherent in this process. Using (Szulanski 1996) approach the barriers may occur in relation to, namely, the content of knowledge; context; the source; the recipient. Design/methodology/approach The methodology is quantitative and the type of research is exploratory and descriptive. For this investigation was used an adapted version of the questionnaire developed by Szulanski (1996), applied to a sample of 79 franchised language schools linked to the Brazilian Franchise Association. Beyond factor analysis it was used the nonparametric test of Jonckheere-Terpstra and analysis of variance, to comparing schools. Findings The results of this analysis revealed that certain types of knowledge transfers are evaluated by the franchisees as more favorably or unfavorably according to the brand franchise. These results show a lack of standardization trend of the activities of the sales process and mismatches with the guidelines of the franchisor. The authors highlight that in the comparison between the brands is evident the dominance of the CNA in relation to other networks of language franchises when analyzed the relationship factors, technical adequacy, absorption of knowledge, competence to absorb knowledge and in the indicators contribution to revenue, acceptance of guidelines and bring results. Originality/value This research contributes to the identification of barriers that are involved during the transfer of practices of the franchisor to the franchisee on the knowledge of the sales process in language schools, awakening in franchisee reflections of improvements and solutions that can be worked on and developed in their units. Specifically, the study contributes to the knowledge management literature in franchises, as this topic is still emerging, as it presents conflicting findings.