Exploring the relationship between quality ambidexterity and sustainable production

Organizational sustainability requires production systems improvement and adaptation simultaneously balancing environmental, social and business dimensions. This exploratory study investigates how quality management exploitation and exploration may ambidextrously contribute to support environmentally sustainable production development. The study uses data collected through an online survey from ISO 9001 certified manufacturing firms. Drawing upon organizational ambidexterity in management literature, and using fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA) to examine the data, we develop a set of propositions that link quality ambidexterity to environmentally sustainable production. Results reveal alternative equifinal configurations of quality management practices that lead to environmentally sustainable production. All configurations combine quality exploration and exploitation practices. The consideration of multiple goals, and especially the requirement for cost efficiency, reveals tensions between the two quality learning modes. The study provides evidence that quality management ambidexterity, the simultaneous presence of quality exploitation and exploration practices, is an important determinant of environmentally sustainable production. The findings provide insights for managers on how to leverage organizational improvement capabilities to achieve sustainability goals.