When social capital is not enough: absorptive capacity and the cognitive foundations of individual ambidexterity

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine how individual absorptive capacity and individual social capital jointly influence individual ambidexterity in a public-sector regulatory context. Using survey data from 136 traffic agents operating across 101 regional traffic units in the state of Paraná, Brazil, the study employs Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to evaluate the proposed relationships. The results reveal a consistent and theoretically relevant pattern. Individual absorptive capacity emerges as the dominant antecedent of individual ambidexterity, exerting a positive and statistically significant effect (f ² = 0.409) on the integration of exploratory and exploitative behaviors. Absorptive capacity also positively predicts individual social capital, indicating that cognitive learning capabilities contribute to the development of relational resources. In contrast, the direct effect of social capital on individual ambidexterity is positive but not statistically significant, suggesting that relational embeddedness alone is insufficient to enable ambidextrous behavior in rule-intensive environments. By repositioning absorptive capacity as a core cognitive micro foundation of individual ambidexterity, this study frames this finding as a theoretical boundary condition: the role of social capital in ambidexterity is contingent on institutional context, rather than general evidence that cognitive capabilities are intrinsically superior to relational resources. The findings advance a more context-sensitive and cognitively anchored understanding of ambidexterity, with implications for micro-foundation research, public-sector management, and regulatory governance.