Analysis performance potential of Startups based on ambidexterity

Abstract

Considering that ambidexterity is the capability of an organization to create, innovate and obtain new discoveries to ensure long-term sustainability, while improving internal procedures aimed at short-term operational efficiency, this research aimed to evaluate the potential that enterprises sheltered at Guamá Science and Technology Park (Belém – PA) have, to achieve a superior performance, based on their ambidextrous management characteristics. This research contributes to advances in strategies of Park's organizations and intends to inspire other enterprises with the same characteristics. Face-to-face interviews were carried out to apply a questionnaire to 19 resident managers of Guamá PCT, and the data were initially treated with descriptive statistics, followed by creation of an "Ambidexterity Index" capable of enabling the analysis of the performance potential of each enterprise. The results indicated that Guamá PCT startups have performance potential, with emphasis on the use of exploration dimension, which presented higher rates of management practices than the exploitation dimension, a fact that can be explained by the very innovation characteristic of the ventures housed in science parks. Thus, it is concluded that the Guamá-PCT ecosystem is favorable for the ambidextrous development of startups, that is, favorable to the development of the capacity to guarantee long-term sustainability, without losing sight of the need to properly manage short-term resources, and this study indicated gaps that must be observed and can be worked on through consulting and training with the sheltered organizations to enhance performance, increasing sustainability and seeking to ensure the long-term survival of these enterprises.