Marketing and Sales in Ambidextrous Organizations: Organizational Challenges from Digitalization?

Abstract

In this chapter, we connect our focus — the organizing of marketing — to one of the strongest drivers for its change — digitalization — and draw attention to various “dual forces” that affect marketing as a consequence. These dual forces are associated with the concept of ambidexterity. Given that companies today are affected by digitalization, both internally in their organizations and in their external business relations, and that they need to act as ambidextrous organizations handling both old (“analog”) and new (“digital”) situations, how does this affect marketing, in general, and the organizing of marketing, in particular?

The chapter will be founded on the assumptions that digitalization is a central driver of change in business and society today, and this digitalization requires organizations to explore new opportunities while still operating with mature technologies in mature markets. Marketing most often has a central role in this situation of digitalization. The connection between digitalization processes, ambidextrous organizations, and the processes of organizing marketing is the focus of this chapter.

The subject is wide, and the aim of the chapter is to generate ideas on some potential consequences for marketing management and organization. The chapter ends with a set of propositions serving as starting points for further studies of the links between digitalization, marketing management and organization, as well as the forces resulting from digitalization.

Citation

Andersson, P., Laurin, E. and Rosenqvist, C. (2018), "Marketing and Sales in Ambidextrous Organizations: Organizational Challenges from Digitalization?", Andersson, P., Axelsson, B. and Rosenqvist, C. (Ed.) Organizing Marketing and Sales, Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 241-252. https://doi.org/10.1108/978-1-78754-968-520181015