Dual focus in exploration and exploitation: The route to sustainable competitive advantage

JANET K. TINOCO, EMBRY RIDDLE AERONAUTICAL UNIVERSITY, USA
Abstract: Organizations that can successfully develop both radical and incremental product innovations positively impact sustained competitive advantage. Past research has indicated that a dual focus in innovation strategy may be fulfilled by use of dual organizational structures and cultures. This research complements these efforts by analyzing business process influences on dual focus. Using data collected from US high technology manufacturers, four strategic archetypes in innovation were developed and analyzed using cluster analysis. Dual focus firms were shown to have multiple processes in place that impact both types of innovation strategies and that these firms implement these processes to a greater extent than those firms operating in the more extreme positions. Following the report of results, implications for organizations toiling for a sustainable competitive advantage through product innovation are discussed, as well as future research directions.
Keywords: Exploration, Exploitation, Dual focus, Product innovation, Strategic archetypes, Business process, High technology