Innovation ambidexterity, resource configuration and firm growth: is smallness a liability or an asset?

This study examines when small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) benefit from innovation ambidexterity for their growth. We argue that innovation ambidexterity in SMEs is sensitive to resource configuration, necessitating a careful fit assessment among firms’ internal resources (firm size), external resources (customer concentration) and the forms of innovation ambidexterity. Patent and utility model data from 912 firm-years for the 2000–2017...