From Strategic Congruence to Modeling and Simulation Ambidextrous Innovation: Evidence from Maritime Logistics

In highly dynamic and information-intensive logistics environments, understanding how firms achieve modeling and simulation ambidextrous innovation (MSAI) through strategic alignment is crucial. Drawing on organizational information processing theory (OIPT), we develop an integrative framework that links strategic congruence with capability development and innovation outcomes. The study examines (1) whether buffering–bridging congruence (B–B congruence) exists and how it enhances MSAI through operational stability, financial flexibility, and knowledge management capability; (2) how these three capabilities shape the differentiated pathways toward exploitative and explorative simulation innovation; and (3) how firms may leverage a simulation-driven decision framework to achieve strategic–capability alignment in the highly dynamic maritime logistics environment. The framework is empirically tested using polynomial regression models based on survey data from Chinese maritime logistics firms, analyzed with SPSS 27.0 and STATA 15. Our empirical results indicate that, regardless of the level of buffering strategy or bridging strategy, the firm’s operational stability, financial flexibility, and knowledge management capabilities are always higher when buffering and bridging strategy are congruent. The results also show that the three capabilities influence MSAI differently. Specifically, knowledge management capability exerts positive effects on both exploitative and exploratory modeling innovation. Financial flexibility mainly promotes exploitative innovation, while its influence on exploratory innovation is not significant. In contrast, operational stability does not enhance exploitative innovation but unexpectedly shows a positive effect on exploratory innovation. The findings advance OIPT’s theoretical application in simulation-intensive settings and offer guidance for firms seeking to align capabilities and strategy in complex systems, providing both theoretical and practical insights.