Mental Models of Leaders in Ambidextrous Leadership

Albert, D., Martignoni, D., Menon, A., & Siggelkow, N. (2022). The Power of Open-Minded Simplicity in Mental Models. Academy of Management Proceedings, 2022(1). https://doi.org/10.5465/AMBPP.2022.323
Appleton, J. V. (1995). Analysing qualitative interview data: Addressing issues of validity andreliability. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 22(5), 993–997. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2648.1995.tb02653.x
Barr, P. S., Stimpert, J. L., & Huff, A. S. (1992). Cognitive change, strategic action, and organizational renewal. Strategic Management Journal, 13(1), 15–36. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.4250131004
Bedell-Avers, K. E., Hunter, S. T., & Mumford, M. D. (2008). Conditions of problem-solving and the performance of charismatic, ideological, and pragmatic leaders: A comparative experimental study. The Leadership Quarterly, 19(1), 89–106. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2007.12.006
Bledow, R., Frese, M., Anderson, N., Erez, M., & Farr, J. (2009). A Dialectic Perspective on Innovation: Conflicting Demands, Multiple Pathways, and Ambidexterity. Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2(3), 305–337. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1754-9434.2009.01154.x
Bono, J. E., & Judge, T. A. (2004). Personality and Transformational and Transactional Leadership: A Meta-Analysis. Journal of Applied Psychology, 89(5), 901–910. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.89.5.901
Bryman, A., Bresnen, M., Beardsworth, Alan, & Keil, T. (1988). Qualitative Research and the Study of Leadership. Human Relations, 41(1), 13–29. https://doi.org/10.1177/001872678804100102
Burnard, P. (1991). A method of analysing interview transcripts in qualitative research. Nurse Education Today, 11(6), 461–466. https://doi.org/10.1016/0260-6917(91)90009-Y
Cai, W., Lysova, E. I., Khapova, S. N., & Bossink, B. A. G. (2018). Servant Leadership and Innovative Work Behavior in Chinese High-Tech Firms: A Moderated Mediation Model of Meaningful Work and Job Autonomy. Frontiers in Psychology, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.01767
Caniëls, M. C. J., Neghina, C., & Schaetsaert, N. (2017). Ambidexterity of employees: The role of empowerment and knowledge sharing. Journal of Knowledge Management, 21(5), 1098–1119. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-10-2016-0440
Cao, Q., Gedajlovic, E., & Zhang, H. (2009). Unpacking Organizational Ambidexterity: Dimensions, Contingencies, and Synergistic Effects. Organization Science, 20(4), 781–796. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1090.0426
Carrington, D. J., Combe, I. A., & Mumford, M. D. (2019). Cognitive shifts within leader and follower teams: Where consensus develops in mental models during an organizational crisis. The Leadership Quarterly, 30(3), 335–350. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2018.12.002
Christensen, G. L., & Olson, J. C. (2002). Mapping consumers’ mental models with ZMET. Psychology & Marketing, 19(6), 477–501. https://doi.org/10.1002/mar.10021
Collins, A., & Gentner, D. (1987). How people construct mental models. In Cultural models in language and thought (pp. 243–265). Cambridge University Press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511607660.011
Combe, I. A., & Carrington, D. J. (2015). Leaders’ sensemaking under crises: Emerging cognitive consensus over time within management teams. The Leadership Quarterly, 26(3), 307–322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2015.02.002
Corbin, J. M., & Strauss, A. L. (2015). Basics of qualitative research: Techniques and procedures for developing grounded theory (Fourth edition). SAGE.
Damasio, A. R. (1989). Time-locked multiregional retroactivation: A systems-level proposal for the neural substrates of recall and recognition. Cognition, 33(1), 25–62. https://doi.org/10.1016/0010-0277(89)90005-X
Davison, G., & Blackman, D. (2005). The role of mental models in innovative teams. European Journal of Innovation Management, 8(4), 409–423. https://doi.org/10.1108/14601060510627795
Dionne, S. D., Sayama, H., Hao, C., & Bush, B. J. (2010). The role of leadership in shared mental model convergence and team performance improvement: An agent-based computational model. The Leadership Quarterly, 21(6), 1035–1049. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2010.10.007
Duncan, R. (1976). The ambidextrous organization: Designing dual structures for innovation. In R. H. Kilman, L. R. Pondy, & D. Slevin (Eds.), The management of organization design: Strategies and implementation (pp. 167–188). North Holland.
Eisenhardt, K. M. (1989). Agency Theory: An Assessment and Review. Academy of Management Review, 14(1), 57–74. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4279003
Eisenhardt, K. M., & Graebner, M. E. (2007). Theory Building From Cases: Opportunities And Challenges. Academy of Management Journal, 50(1), 25–32. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2007.24160888
Gasda, J.-M., & Fueglistaller, U. (2016). Fostering individual-level ambidexterity in SMEs: A relational-contract perspective on informal external drivers of employees’ ambidextrous behaviour. International Journal of Entrepreneurial Venturing, 8(3), 217–236. https://doi.org/10.1504/IJEV.2016.078963
Gebert, D., & Kearney, E. (2011). Ambidextre Führung. Zeitschrift Für Arbeits- Und Organisationspsychologie A&O, 55(2), 74–87. https://doi.org/10.1026/0932-4089/a000043
Genrich, M., Angerer, P., Worringer, B., Gündel, H., Kröner, F., & Müller, A. (2022). Managers’ Action-Guiding Mental Models towards Mental Health-Related Organizational Interventions—A Systematic Review of Qualitative Studies. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), Article 19. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912610
Gibson, C. B., & Birkinshaw, J. (2004). The Antecedents, Consequences, and Mediating Role of Organizational Ambidexterity. Academy of Management Journal, 47(2), 209–226. https://doi.org/10.5465/20159573
Goldvarg, E., & Johnson-Laird, P. N. (2001). Naive causality: A mental model theory of causal meaning and reasoning. Cognitive Science, 25(4), 565–610. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0364-0213(01)00046-5
Good, D., & Michel, E. J. (2013). Individual Ambidexterity: Exploring and Exploiting in Dynamic Contexts. The Journal of Psychology, 147(5), 435–453. https://doi.org/10.1080/00223980.2012.710663
Gutman, J. (1982). A Means-End Chain Model Based on Consumer Categorization Processes. Journal of Marketing, 46(2), 60–72. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224298204600207
Hansson, H., & Kokko, S. (2018). Farmers’ mental models of change and implications for farm renewal – A case of restoration of a wetland in Sweden. Journal of Rural Studies, 60, 141–151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrurstud.2018.04.006
Hmelo-Silver, C. E., & Pfeffer, M. G. (2004). Comparing expert and novice understanding of a complex system from the perspective of structures, behaviors, and functions. Cognitive Science, 28(1), 127–138. https://doi.org/10.1207/s15516709cog2801_7
Hunter, S. T., Cushenbery, L. D., & Jayne, B. (2017). Why dual leaders will drive innovation: Resolving the exploration and exploitation dilemma with a conservation of resources solution. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 38(8), 1183–1195. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.2195
Intezari, A., & Pauleen, D. J. (2013). Students of Wisdom: An Integral Meta-competencies Theory of Practical Wisdom. In A Handbook of Practical Wisdom. Routledge.
Jensen, M. C., & Meckling, W. H. (1979). Theory of the Firm: Managerial Behavior, Agency Costs, and Ownership Structure. In K. Brunner (Ed.), Economics Social Institutions (Vol. 1, pp. 163–231). Springer Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9257-3_8
Johnson-Laird, P. N. (1983). Mental models: Towards a cognitive science of language, inference and consciousness. Cambridge University Press.
Johnson-Laird, P. N. (2001). Mental models and deduction. Trends in Cognitive Sciences, 5(10), 434–442. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1364-6613(00)01751-4
Kassotaki, O. (2022). Review of Organizational Ambidexterity Research. Sage Open, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440221082127
Kauppila, O.-P., & Tempelaar, M. P. (2016). The Social-Cognitive Underpinnings of Employees’ Ambidextrous Behaviour and the Supportive Role of Group Managers’ Leadership. Journal of Management Studies, 53(6), 1019–1044. https://doi.org/10.1111/joms.12192
Kokko, S., & Lagerkvist, C. J. (2017). Using Zaltman Metaphor Elicitation Technique to Map Beneficiaries’ Experiences and Values: A Case Example From the Sanitation Sector. American Journal of Evaluation, 38(2), 205–225. https://doi.org/10.1177/1098214016649054
Lin, H.-E., McDonough III, E. F., Lin, S.-J., & Lin, C. Y.-Y. (2013). Managing the Exploitation/Exploration Paradox: The Role of a Learning Capability and Innovation Ambidexterity. Journal of Product Innovation Management, 30(2), 262–278. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1540-5885.2012.00998.x
Lubatkin, M. H., Simsek, Z., Ling, Y., & Veiga, J. F. (2006). Ambidexterity and Performance in Small-to Medium-Sized Firms: The Pivotal Role of Top Management Team Behavioral Integration. Journal of Management, 32(5), 646–672. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206306290712
March, J. G. (1991). Exploration and Exploitation in Organizational Learning. Organization Science, 2(1), 71–87. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2.1.71
Markóczy, L. (2001). Consensus formation during strategic change. Strategic Management Journal, 22(11), 1013–1031. https://doi.org/10.1002/smj.193
Markóczy, L., & Goldberg, J. (1995). A method for eliciting and comparing causal maps. Journal of Management, 21(2), 305–333. https://doi.org/10.1016/0149-2063(95)90060-8
McIntyre, H. H., & Foti, R. J. (2013). The impact of shared leadership on teamwork mental models and performance in self-directed teams. Group Processes & Intergroup Relations, 16(1), 46–57. https://doi.org/10.1177/1368430211422923
Mom, T. J. M., Van Den Bosch, F. A. J., & Volberda, H. W. (2007). Investigating Managers’ Exploration and Exploitation Activities: The Influence of Top-Down, Bottom-Up, and Horizontal Knowledge Inflows. Journal of Management Studies, 44(6), 910–931. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-6486.2007.00697.x
Mumford, M. D. (2006). Pathways to outstanding leadership: A comparative analysis of charismatic, ideological, and pragmatic leaders. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
Mumford, M. D., Fichtel, M., England, S., & Newbold, T. R. (2023). Leader Thinking, Follower Thinking: Leader Impacts on Follower Creative Performance. Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior, 10(10), 413–440. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-orgpsych-120920-045553
Mumford, M. D., Hester, K. S., Robledo, I. C., Peterson, D. R., Day, E. A., Hougen, D. F., & Barrett, J. D. (2012). Mental Models and Creative Problem-Solving: The Relationship of Objective and Subjective Model Attributes. Creativity Research Journal, 24(4), 311–330. https://doi.org/10.1080/10400419.2012.730008
Mumford, M. D., Higgs, C. A., Todd, E. M., & Elliott, S. (2019). Thinking About Causes. In M. D. Mumford & C. A. Higgs (Eds.), Leader Thinking Skills (1st ed., pp. 122–147). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315269573-6
Mumford, M. D., Medeiros, K. E., & Partlow, P. J. (2012). Creative Thinking: Processes, Strategies, and Knowledge. The Journal of Creative Behavior, 46(1), 30–47. https://doi.org/10.1002/jocb.003
Mumford, M. D., & Strange, J. M. (2013). Vision and Mental Models: The Case of Charismatic and Ideological Leadership. In B. J. Avolio & F. J. Yammarino (Eds.), Monographs in Leadership and Management (Vol. 5, pp. 125–158). Emerald Group Publishing Limited. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1479-357120130000005013
Mumford, M. D., Todd, E. M., Higgs, C., & McIntosh, T. (2017). Cognitive skills and leadership performance: The nine critical skills. The Leadership Quarterly, 28(1), 24–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2016.10.012
Mumford, M. D., Watts, L. L., & Partlow, P. J. (2015). Leader cognition: Approaches and findings. The Leadership Quarterly, 26(3), 301–306. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2015.03.005
O’Reilly, C. A., & Tushman, M. L. (2004). The ambidextrous organization. Harvard Business Review, 82(4), 74–83.
Partlow, P. J., Medeiros, K. E., & Mumford, M. D. (2015). Leader cognition in vision formation: Simplicity and negativity. The Leadership Quarterly, 26(3), 448–469. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2015.02.009
Poole, M. S., & Van de Ven, A. H. (1989). Using Paradox to Build Management and Organization Theories. Academy of Management Review, 14(4), 562–578. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.1989.4308389
Proctor, T. (2019). Creative problem solving for managers: Developing Skills for Decision Making and Innovation (5th Edition). Routledge.
Raisch, S., & Birkinshaw, J. (2008). Organizational Ambidexterity: Antecedents, Outcomes, and Moderators. Journal of Management, 34(3), 375–409. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206308316058
Rook, L. (2013). Mental models: A robust definition. The Learning Organization, 20(1), 38–47. https://doi.org/10.1108/09696471311288519
Rosing, K., Bledow, R., Frese, M., Baytalskaya, N., Johnson Lascano, J., & Farr, J. L. (2018). The temporal pattern of creativity and implementation in teams. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 91(4), 798–822. https://doi.org/10.1111/joop.12226
Rosing, K., Frese, M., & Bausch, A. (2011). Explaining the heterogeneity of the leadership-innovation relationship: Ambidextrous leadership. The Leadership Quarterly, 22(5), 956–974. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2011.07.014
Rosing, K., & Zacher, H. (2023). Chapter 5 - Ambidextrous leadership: A review of theoretical developments and empirical evidence. In R. Reiter-Palmon & S. Hunter (Eds.), Handbook of Organizational Creativity (Second Edition) (pp. 51–70). Academic Press. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-91841-1.00013-0
Rouse, W. B., & Morris, N. M. (1986). On looking into the black box: Prospects and limits in the search for mental models. Psychological Bulletin, 100(3), 349–363. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.100.3.349
Sax, H., & Clack, L. (2015). Mental models: A basic concept for human factors design in infection prevention. Journal of Hospital Infection, 89(4), 335–339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2014.12.008
Schad, J., Lewis, M. W., Raisch, S., & Smith, W. K. (2016). Paradox Research in Management Science: Looking Back to Move Forward. Academy of Management Annals, 10(1), 5–64. https://doi.org/10.5465/19416520.2016.1162422
Smith, W. K., & Lewis, M. W. (2011). Toward a Theory of Paradox: A Dynamic equilibrium Model of Organizing. Academy of Management Review, 36(2), 381–403. https://doi.org/10.5465/amr.2009.0223
Smith, W. K., & Tushman, M. L. (2005). Managing Strategic Contradictions: A Top Management Model for Managing Innovation Streams. Organization Science, 16(5), 522–536. https://doi.org/10.1287/orsc.1050.0134
Thagard, P. (2012). Mapping Minds across Cultures. In R. Sun (Ed.), Grounding Social Sciences in Cognitive Sciences (pp. 35–62). The MIT Press. https://doi.org/10.7551/mitpress/8928.003.0005
Tushman, M. L., & O’Reilly, C. A. (1996). Ambidextrous Organizations: Managing Evolutionary and Revolutionary Change. California Management Review, 38(4), 8–29. https://doi.org/10.2307/41165852
van Kleef, E., van Trijp, H. C. M., & Luning, P. (2005). Consumer research in the early stages of new product development: A critical review of methods and techniques. Food Quality and Preference, 16(3), 181–201. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodqual.2004.05.012
Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (Sixth edition). SAGE.
Zacher, H., & Rosing, K. (2015). Ambidextrous leadership and team innovation. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 36(1), 54–68. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-11-2012-0141
Zaltman, G. (1997). Rethinking Market Research: Putting People Back In. Journal of Marketing Research, 34(4), 424–437. https://doi.org/10.1177/002224379703400402
Zaltman, G., & Coulter, R. H. (1995). Seeing the voice of the customer: Metaphor-based advertising research. Journal of Advertising Research, 35(4), 35–52.
Zhang, Y., Waldman, D. A., Han, Y.-L., & Li, X.-B. (2015). Paradoxical Leader Behaviors in People Management: Antecedents and Consequences. Academy of Management Journal, 58(2), 538–566. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2012.0995
Zhang, Y., Wei, F., & Horne, C. (2019). Individual ambidexterity and antecedents in a changing context. International Journal of Innovation Management, 23(03). https://doi.org/10.1142/S136391961950021X

Vergossen, H. (2025). Mental Models of Leaders in Ambidextrous Leadership. International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, 15(1), 1130–1148.

Copyright: © 2025 The Author(s)
Published by HRMARS (www.hrmars.com)
This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY 4.0) license. Anyone may reproduce, distribute, translate and create derivative works of this article (for both commercial and non-commercial purposes), subject to full attribution to the original publication and authors. The full terms of this license may be seen at: http://creativecommons.org/licences/by/4.0/legalcode