'BlackBerry use can make or break business'

The model indicates that businesses that successfully juggle multiple climates: of involvement, adaptability, consistency and mission - ambidextrous companies - perform better.

The use of palm-sized wireless e-mail devices like BlackBerry can make or break a business, according to an Australian study.

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The research explores how BlackBerry use can help businesses achieve the newest Holy Grail - organisational ambidexterity (OA). OA is a company's ability to balance conflicting internal and external demands at the same time as balancing the need for flexibility and control, reports Scinecealert.

The model indicates that businesses that successfully juggle multiple climates: of involvement, adaptability, consistency and mission - ambidextrous companies - perform better.

The model has been developed by Judi MacCormick of Australian School of Business and Kristine Dery of University of Sydney. They jointly authored the paper.

"In the current tight employment market, companies that foster a good environment of BlackBerry use will automatically reap the rewards," Cormick said.

But she warns that 24/7 connectivity can go sour, especially when bosses expect employees to be as on-call as they are.

"Positive climates of involvement and adaptability can quickly turn into over-involvement, addiction and diffusion - where your sense of control becomes watered-down because you are in constant contact," she said.