Abstract (EN)

This article shows how the separation and subsequent reintegration of a subsidiary becomes a source of strategic renewal for the parent company. We develop a process model that reveals how structural ambidexterity can generate “proximate isomorphism” that gives rise to parent level exploration andthe parent’s gradual convergence with the subsidiary. This creates the conditions for reintegration, andultimately, strategic renewal. We identify the triggers for proximate isomorphism as well as the mechanisms through which it unfolds. We draw on the longitudinal analysis of strategic renewal of Immochan between 2006 and 2018. Our findings contribute to extant research by developing the link between structuralambidexterity and strategic renewal and, particularly, by showing that proximate isomorphism acts as anintegrating mechanism between the parent and the explorative unit.