Interdisciplinary Dialogues on Organizational Paradox

Abstract

Increased attention to paradoxical tensions has informed our understanding of organizations, challenging us to frame tensions as an inevitable part of organizational functioning which, when worked through effectively, can enable creativity and more sustainable institutions (Bednarek, Paroutis, & Sillince, 2017; Clegg, Cunha, & Cunha, 2002; Schad, Lewis, Raisch, & Smith, 2016). Yet even as paradox theory emerged more recently within organizational theory, the roots of these ideas date back thousands of years (Smith, Lewis, Jarzabkowski, & Langley, 2017). Initially viewed through the fields of logic, philosophy, and religion, insights about paradox have informed and have been developed in a broad range of disciplines. As such, paradox arrives at the shores of organization theory from vast and varied fields. Expanding our insight about paradox and organizational theory therefore depends on both returning to and reconnecting with these rich interdisciplinary foundations, and using these insights to offer novel cutting-edge research. In this symposium, we engage more deliberately and deeply with these multidisciplinary roots in order to expand our insights about paradox scholarship in organizational theory, while also igniting opportunities for paradox theory to impact critical conversations in other disciplines. By doing so, we accept the challenge of the Academy of Management’s annual theme to ‘Broaden our Sights’ by diminishing false dichotomies and creating connections across broad disciplines and ideologies – including connections to theology, physics, music, and mathematics. This symposium showcases and provides a discussion point for a pending special issue to the Research in the Sociology of Organizations on the same topic, seeking to both look backwards to the multidisciplinary foundations of paradox theory and forward to its ongoing development via this foundation. In doing so, it showcases several thought-pieces in this volume (four papers), advances perspectives on how disciplinary roots can further advance paradox and organizational theory, and also fosters discourse and debate to explore similarities and differences across different foundational disciplines. Specifically, in this symposium, we showcase the breadth of multidisciplinary foundations. We showcase four papers from the special issue (shifting from logics to Ubuntu philosophy; from gender studies to quantum physics). We also offer space to reflect together on this multidisciplinary project via our distinguished discussant who will offer reflections and commentary on this issue and the specific papers at hand. Logic(s) and Paradox Presenter: Marco Berti; U. of Technology, Sydney Beyond Paradox Theory Orthodoxy, East and West: The Case of Ubuntu Presenter: Medhanie Gaim; Umea U. Presenter: Stewart R. Clegg; U. of Technology, Sydney Untangling the Paradoxical Knot: Sexual Harassment, Gender, and Resilience Presenter: Linda L. Putnam; U. of California, Santa Barbara Presenter: Avigail McClelland-Cohen; U. of California, Santa Barbara Paradox and Quantum Mechanics – Implications for the Management of Organizational Paradox Presenter: Tobias Hahn; ESADE Business School Presenter: Eric Knight; U. Of Sydney