Recent Research on Paradox Theory: Emerging Themes and Mechanisms

Abstract

Paradox theory is a bourgeoning area of interest among organization and management scholars. In this paper, we explore two overlapping research questions: (a) What are the major emerging issues in research on paradox theory; (b) What are the fundamental mechanisms that individuals and groups use to navigate paradoxes. From the reviewed literature, first, we delineate six major research themes and highlight important issues that researchers have addressed in their studies. Second, we propose a 2 × 2 × 2 matrix to categorize the mechanisms examined in the studies, and identify eight broad categories of mechanisms to navigate paradoxes in organizations. We hope our review will help integrate research findings and encourage theory testing in the future.