Organisational Ambidexterity and Sustainable Performance: The Mediating Role of Strategic Agility in Deposit Money Banks in Nigeria

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Authors

1 Ikongha Isong Owor; 2 Abraham Olatubosun; 3 Nkem Jennifer Majeed-Raji; 4 Omagbedhe Goddy Aworawo; 5 Oseni Salami

1, 4 & 5Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, National Open University of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria

2Department of Business Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, Nasarawa State University Keffi, Nigeria.

3Dept of Public Administration, Faculty of Management Sciences, National open University of Nigeria, Abuja, Nigeria.

Abstract

This study investigated the relationship between organisational ambidexterity and sustainable performance, specifically evaluating the mediating mechanism of strategic agility. Anchored in dynamic capabilities theory and the resource-based view, the inquiry addressed ongoing questions about why structural investments in dual operational strategies do not uniformly enhance triple-bottom-line outcomes in volatile financial markets. The study used a quantitative survey methodology and collected empirical data from 202 managerial and professional staff at Access Bank in Nigeria. Hypothesized paths and structural relationships were evaluated through partial least squares structural equation modeling. The empirical assessment revealed that organisational ambidexterity exerted a meaningful, positive direct influence on both sustainable performance and strategic agility. Strategic agility similarly exercised a robust, positive direct effect on sustainable performance metrics. Beyond these direct linkages, the mediation analysis showed that strategic agility served as a complementary partial mediator, linking ambidextrous operational structures to firm-level economic, social, and environmental outcomes. Overall, the findings confirmed that balanced structural frameworks alone remained insufficient to drive corporate sustainability without environmental sensitivity, unified leadership, and rapid resource reallocation. The study therefore underscored that banking executives seeking sustained competitive advantage must synchronize dual-operational designs with agile management practices that systematically cultivate structural flexibility.

Keywords: Dynamic Capabilities Theory, Strategic Agility, Sustainable Performance, Organisational Ambidexterity, Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling.

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