Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Technovation journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/technovation Ambidexterity in the age of asset sharing: Development of dynamic capabilities in open source ecosystems Parisa Haim Faridian a,∗ , Donald O. Neubaum b a Department of Management, Fowler College of Business, San Diego State University, 5500 Campanile Drive, San Diego, CA, 92182, USA b Management Programs, Florida Atlantic University, 777 Glades Road Boca Raton, FL, 33431-0991, USA ARTICLEINFO Keywords: Dynamic capabilities Open innovation Ambidexterity Asset positions ABSTRACT Evidence suggests the growing importance of interorganizational relationships in developing intrapreneurial capabilities. In this paper, we argue that exploitation- and exploration-oriented network ties strengthen in- trapreneurial capabilities in dynamic environments. To do so, we integrate the underlying assumptions of asset positions in the dynamic capabilities perspective with the open innovation perspective to highlight the im- plications of interorganizational ties for value capturing and value creating. The resulting model is discussed using the open source ecosystem as a context that exemplifies the complexities of the symbiotic relationships among network actors in the software industry. This study makes several contributions. First, we contribute to research on intrapreneurial capabilities by explicating the role of different types of network ties in recognizing andleveragingopportunities.Second,weextendthescopeofthedynamiccapabilitiesliteraturebyintegratinga network perspective to reconceptualize asset positioning in the context of value co-creation and co-capture. Third,weaddressthecomplexitiesassociatedwithintellectualpropertyrightsinsharingassetsthroughdifferent formsofnetworkties.Lastly,welinkthedynamiccapabilitiesliteraturewithambidexterityresearchbyoffering insights on how asset sharing can facilitate the simultaneous development of capabilities related to both ex- ploration and exploitation in dynamic environments. 1. Introduction The advancements of information technologies and the emergence of the digital economy have contributed to a myriad of opportunities and novel approaches for new and established firms to innovate and compete. Thus, the development of technological competencies is commonly viewed as the means for creating competitive advantages (Athreye and Keeble, 2000). However, the rise and popularity of ven- turesbuiltaroundopeninnovationnetworks,suchasElonMusk'sOpen AI, Mozilla, United Genomes Project, and Moodle, provide evidence of the value of interorganizational relationships for developing critical intrapreneurial capabilities vis-à-vis the fast pace of technological changes (Birkinshaw et al., 2008; Peng et al., 2013; Phelps, 2010; Phelpsetal.,2012; Yooetal.,2012).Further,amidthefascinationwith opportunities presented in the digital economy, the many challenges and traps in these dynamic settings have been largely overlooked (Teeceetal.,1997).Atthecenterofthesechallengesreststhebalancing act between exploitive and explorative strategies (March, 1991) that guides the allocation and orchestration of assets. Understanding this tensionisofspecificinterestinanagesynonymouswiththedominance of interorganizational networks, where collaborations allow organiza- tions to leverage external assets to develop intrapreneurial capabilities (Bingham et al., 2015; Parmigiani and Rivera-Santos, 2011; Spithoven et al., 2011). Amongcollaborativeapproaches,openinnovationisnoteworthyfor its potential to strengthen intrapreneurial capabilities by cultivating new opportunities to co-create and co-capture value (Van de Vrande et al., 2009; Chesbrough, 2003). As a basic form of open innovation networks, open source ecosystems are networks of actors and entities, including free agent developers, affiliated agents, established organi- zations, and new ventures, that contribute to the development of non- proprietary innovations in the software industry. These networks are often formed organically, and thus adopt informal and fluid structures that commonly lack hierarchical authority (Fleming and Waguespack, 2007; O'Mahony and Ferraro, 2007). The open source ecosystem re- presents a context that exemplifies the complexities of complementary and conflicting relationships among network actors (O'Mahony and Ferraro,2007).Inthispaper,wedrawontheopeninnovationliterature andevidencefromtheopensourceecosystemsettingtopresentamodel that explains how improving asset positions through symbiotic https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2020.102125 Received 26 November 2018; Received in revised form 12 December 2019; Accepted 26 March 2020 ∗ Corresponding author. E-mail addresses: phaimfaridian@gmail.com (P. Haim Faridian), dneubaum@fau.edu (D.O. Neubaum). Technovation xxx (xxxx) xxxx 0166-4972/ © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved. Please cite this article as: Parisa Haim Faridian and Donald O. Neubaum, Technovation, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.technovation.2020.102125