60 seconds with a Dr... Dr Collins' practical ambidexterity

I've been energised this week by the conversations with practitioners wanting to take 'the doctoral leap' - and it's only Tuesday! This is my next instalment of stories from practitioner researchers who have successfully demonstrated their expertise in generating new knowledge which helps change practice.

This post shares insights from Dr Eve Collins who was awarded the Chester Doctor of Professional Studies award.

Supervising Dr Collins' research was a rich experience, partly as we could see how her cutting edge work was playing out on a daily basis; every month we could relate to the need to balance delivering what we have now and developing new activity for an unknown future; ambidexterity.

Even more incredible was that Dr Collins always delivered despite a highly deamdning day job; indeed, we always thought Dr Collins displayed the exact dynamic capabilities of ambidexterity she was researching in practice. This dynamic capacity to balance demands really helps manage our wellbeing over the short and long terms. This is why I think Dr Collins' story is so important to share.

Here are Dr Collins' insights.

Dr Collins, what were your original drivers to do the doctorate, and what practice issue were you delving into?

I was originally motivated to undertake doctoral studies to progress my academic career. The practice issue I went on to explore emanated out of my experience as a manager in a Faculty of Health and Social Care. I was cognisant of the need to ensure that we were constantly striving to enhance the quality of our existing provision and to simultaneously adapt and innovate to ensure the future validity of what we offer within the perpetually changing health care arena.

Balancing these dual facets of activity was a dominant challenge of managerial practice, accentuated by the resource scarcity so prevalent in the public and quasi-public sector.

In my personal experience balancing these dual facets of activity was a dominant challenge of managerial practice, accentuated by the resource scarcity so prevalent in the public and quasi-public sector. This inspired my study which explored the lived experience of healthcare education managers balancing the two components of their role.    

What ideas did you find most useful to deepen your thinking and practice?

The necessity to balance dual strategic aims is not unique to the educational arena, rather it reflects the fundamental challenge of balancing efficiency and innovation across all business sectors.

The organisational theory literature incorporates a wealth of studies which advance the concept of “ambidexterity” as a capability with the potential to facilitate the simultaneous pursuit of two paths.

The theoretical literature offers further clarification regarding the various definitions and forms of the concept alongside compelling evidence that tensions emerge in its pursuit. This resonated with my professional experiences and as a result ambidexterity provided a fitting theoretical framework for my study. 

How did you do your research?

My research study took the form of a case study focused on a single business unit, a Faculty of Health and Social Care and the managerial team therein. Archival documentary data was collected to explore the organisational context of the business unit which was integrated with data elicited from individual interviews and documentary data over a four-year period facilitating data analysis on both an individual and business unit level. 

What deep, practical insight did you discover, and how have you changed?

My study offered a unique insight into the way in which these academic managers perceive the complexity and dynamism of ambidexterity in contemporary educational practice. Those factors which facilitate, or hinder ambidexterity were illuminated, and context specific ambidextrous tensions and tactics where uncovered.

Undertaking the doctorate has not only developed my competence as a researcher it has also significantly improved my managerial practice. I now have a much deeper understanding of the complex professional landscape, and my ambidextrous capability is significantly enhanced.

On a practical level my studies have afforded me an evidence base to inform my decision-making process enabling me to carefully balance the dual aims of my role and adopt appropriate tactics to manage the tensions which inevitably emerge.   

I want to thank Dr Collins for sharing her doctoral experience with us, and for taking the time to share her insights so others can benefit from her experiences. Please contact me should you want to learn more about Dr Collins' research, or about the Chester DProf programme (the official site is here, and further information is here).

Professor Wall is Founder and Head of the International Centre for Thriving, a global scale collaboration between business, arts, health, and education to deliver sustainable transformation for the common good. He is passionate about thriving and has published 200+ works, including articles in quartile 1 journals such as The International Journal of Human Resource Management and Vocations & Learning, as well as global policy reports for the European Mentoring & Coaching Council in Brussels. Overall, his leadership and international impact in these areas have attracted numerous accolades including the prestigious Advance-HE National Teaching Fellowship and three Santander International Research Excellence Awards.