Year: 2026
Type: dissertation
Abstract: This dissertation examines how European Union public sector organizations can simultaneously pursue process exploitation (efficiency and incremental improvement) and process exploration (radical innovation and experimentation) through the theoretical lens of Business Process Management (BPM) ambidexterity. The research addresses four interrelated gaps: the conceptual ambiguity surrounding BPM ambidexterity, the limited empirical evidence in public sector contexts, the undefined cultural values enabling radical process innovation in digital governance, and the absence of measurement instruments for innovation-enabling culture. Employing a progressive focusing strategy across three interconnected studies, the dissertation demonstrates that public sector organizations can build innovation capability while maintaining operational excellence by developing ambidextrous process capabilities supported by complementary cultural values. The first study (Chapter 2) establishes the theoretical foundation through a Systematic Literature Review of 71 papers. It provides a dual conceptualization of BPM ambidexterity: as an organizational capability supported by BPM, and as a state of equilibrium between explorative and exploitative processes. The review identifies that the field has evolved from structural separation approaches toward contextual integration strategies, and documents a rich array of implementation approaches—from design thinking integration and agile methodologies to structured experimentation windows—for embedding exploration within traditional BPM lifecycles. The second study (Chapter 3) presents empirical evidence from multiple case studies across five EU institutions, comprising 15 interviews and extensive field observations. The findings reveal three key insights. First, a contingent relationship exists between an organization’s level of process orientation and its optimal ambidexterity strategy: organizations with low process orientation exclusively employed structural or temporal separation strategies, while those with high process orientation successfully implemented contextual ambidexterity. Second, contrary to conventional expectations, support processes (HR, IT, finance) exhibited greater ambidextrous capability than core processes, as they face less regulatory scrutiny, have clearer performance metrics, and benefit from established private sector benchmarks. Third, departments with mature exploitation capabilities were more, not less, capable of radical innovation—they leveraged existing process management structures as platforms for experimentation rather than constraints on creativity. Across most cases, cultural factors outweighed structural and technological factors in determining ambidextrous success. The third study (Chapter 4) develops and validates the FADE framework—a psychometrically validated 35-item instrument measuring four exploration-oriented cultural values: Failure acceptance, Agility, Disruptiveness, and Ecosystem thinking. Through a rigorous mixed-methods approach combining case study insights, literature review, expert panel validation (n=14), and survey testing (n=214), the study demonstrates that FADE values explain 24–30% of variance in process outcomes.
Author: Helbin, Tomasz
Language: English
Subfield: Management Information Systems
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W7166934963
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