Shifting and balancing under uncertainty: Ambidextrous leadership of digital strategies in the museums sector

Abstract

The viability of museums and their past operating models have been undermined by external challenges including a paucity of funding, sectoral crises and the COVID-19 pandemic. Many have sought to implement digital strategies rapidly to support their survival, and some have struggled to adapt to a ‘new normal’, seeking a suitable blend of online and in-person activity. We explore the role of ambidextrous leaders in digital strategies for museums, as they face multiple significant challenges including a complex external environment. We draw on the literatures on ambidexterity and sensemaking to understand how leaders manage this complex environment, including via the emergence of contextual ambidexterity. We present the findings of two qualitative studies exploring leadership behaviors and digital strategies in the museums sector. We identify key leadership behaviors under three leadership strategies: ‘Conserving the Core’, ‘Venturing Beyond the Walls’ and ‘Curating Hybrid Futures’. We contribute to the literature on the role of leaders in enabling contextual ambidexterity in a complex context by exploring leadership behaviors and digital strategies that can stimulate exploration and exploitation and create a shift or balance between the two in the museums sector.