Organizational ambidexterity and innovation management in traditional communities: an investigation in Associação Kalunga Comunitária do Engenho II

Purpose The purpose of this study is to understand how the managers of the Associação Kalunga Comunitária do Engenho II (AKCE) used the assumptions of organizational ambidexterity during the pandemic period in their communities to mitigate the impacts of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), as well as to report the main innovative practices adopted by the AKCE. Design/methodology/approach The study is classified as exploratory, with a qualitative approach, and the research procedure chosen was semi-structured interviews. The data obtained came from the transcription of the interviews and field observation, using the content analysis method. Findings The community used constructs of contextual ambidexterity during the COVID-19 pandemic. Video conferences, online management and mechanized farming are characteristics of alignment, and the creation of websites, online sales, medicinal plant project and community farming refer to adaptability. Practical implications This study demonstrates how innovation was fostered in the Kalunga community, highlighting how the pandemic moment was overcome. Social implications The study makes it possible to broaden society’s knowledge about centennial communities; besides divulging more about quilombola communities, in a scenario of historical reparation in which the communities were mapped for the first time by the 2022 Census. Originality/value It is possible to find characteristics related to ambidexterity in organizations that do not aim for profit.