THE IMPACT OF PROACTIVE CEO ON FINANCIAL PERFORMANCE MEDIATED BY ORGANIZATIONAL AMBIDEXTERITY: THE CASE OF CEOS OF KNOWLEDGE-BASED COMPANIES

Abstract

The present research was conducted to explore the effect of proactive chief executive officers (CEOs) on financial performance in knowledge-based companies mediated by organizational ambidexterity. The present applied research was descriptive and correlational in design. The research population was the CEOs of knowledge-based companies in Mashhad. Overall, there were 161 companies all included in a census. Finally, 101 questionnaires were completed. The required data were collected using standard questionnaires, and Cronbach's alpha coefficient was estimated to measure the reliability of the instruments. Thus, the face validity, construct validity, and reliability of the instruments were all measured and confirmed. SPSS and Smart PLS were used for data analysis. The results showed that proactive CEOs have a positive and direct effect on financial performance, and organizational ambidexterity has a positive and significant mediating role in the relationship between proactive CEOs and financial performance. These findings show that attention to CEO proactivity and organizational ambidexterity in knowledge-based companies can facilitate the improvement of financial performance and help CEOs and organizations face daily competitive challenges.