Nonprofit sector ambidexterity: a framework for understanding innovation and strategy change in nonprofit organizations

Organizational ambidexterity is recognized in public organizations for achieving innovation, but the concept remains undertheorized in non-profit organizations despite their crucial role in public service delivery. This study examines the applicability of ambidexterity to non-profits and proposes a framework for understanding it in the non-profit sector. By analysing two cycles of strategic planning in a non-profit organization over 10 years, we identify antecedents, enabling mechanisms, ambidexterity practices, the types of ambidexterity, and innovative outcomes. We discuss the implications for ambidexterity theory and practice, including the unique aspects of non-profit innovation and cross-sectoral insights given the increasingly blurred boundaries between sectors.