Innovation performance of multinational corporations (MNCs) derives from access to and utilization of a combination of explorative and exploitative knowledge across heterogeneous settings. These settings increasingly encompass flagship industries in emerging economies. There is limited research, however, that scrutinizes the processes of knowledge sourcing within such dynamic host environments, taking into account MNCs’ differing location capabilities. We draw on the concept of ambidexterity – the combination of exploration and exploitation – and the microfoundations approach to study eleven MNCs in the Bulgarian software development industry by focusing on their local R&D projects. We extend the explanatory capacity of ambidexterity at the micro level and clarify the relationship between exploration and exploitation by identifying four types of ambidexterity: global knowledge differentiator, global-local knowledge integrator, emerging local-global integrator, and local knowledge integrator. Our typology is underpinned by three specific dimensions of R&D capabilities: technical know-how, scope of expertise, and market potential.

跨国公司 (MNC) 的创新绩效源自对跨异构环境的探索性和利用性知识组合的访问和利用。这些环境越来越多地涵盖新兴经济体的旗舰产业。然而，很少有研究仔细检查内部的知识采购过程这种动态主机环境，考虑到跨国公司不同的定位能力。我们利用双元性的概念——探索与开发的结合——以及微观基础方法，通过关注其本地研发项目来研究保加利亚软件开发行业的 11 家跨国公司。我们在微观层面扩展了双元性的解释能力，并通过确定四种类型的双元性来阐明探索与开发之间的关系：全球知识差异化、全球-本地知识整合、新兴本地-全球整合和本地知识整合。我们的类型学以研发能力的三个具体维度为基础：技术诀窍、专业知识范围和市场潜力。