Continuously responding to paradox with third spaces: a process study on change in a nursing unit

Abstract

This paper explores how organizations can continuously cope with paradox. A longitudinal case study on organizational change of a nursing department shows that establishing repeated social interactions supports organizational members in addressing emerging contradictory issues. These social interactions are third spaces, sites in which actors can enunciate, reflect and envision responses to contradictory issues. The explanation of how an organization can continuously cope with paradox rests on two pillars: first, the third spaces form an ecology of spaces so that organizational actors become involved in addressing their contradictory issues. Second, third spaces emerge and become maintained over time as they form a duality with contradictory issues. Furtermore, the paper contributes to explaining the shift from defensive to active responses, which are associated with vicious and virtuous cycles. Lastly, third spaces serve to relate cognitive approaches with social interaction, thus bringing together these two perspectives within the paradox lens.