Abstract
Background: The ever-changing world, specifically the healthcare system,
makes an urgent need for academically ambidextrous leaders who drive
innovation among faculty members through promoting both explorative and
exploitative behaviors. Aim: Explore the relationship between academic
ambidextrous leadership, faculty members' ambidexterity, and innovative
performance. Design: Descriptive correlational study design. Setting: This study
was conducted at the Faculty of Nursing of Tanta University. Subjects: All
available (n = 150) faculty members, including demonstrators, assistant lecturers,
and lecturers. Tools: Three tools were utilized: Ambidextrous Leadership
Questionnaire, Faculty Members' Ambidexterity Behaviors Questionnaire, and
Faculty Members' Innovative Performance Self-Report Questionnaire. Results:
A high percent (68.7%) of faculty members perceived a high academic
ambidextrous leadership level. Also, the majority (88.7% & 78.7%) of them
showed high levels of ambidexterity and innovative performance, respectively.
Conclusion: There were statistically significant positive correlations between
academic ambidextrous leadership, faculty members' ambidexterity and their
innovative performance. Recommendations: Academic leaders' continuous
adoption of ambidextrous leadership behaviors as a philosophy that promotes
work values, ethics, and academic innovation.