Toward a Theory of Paradox: A Dynamic equilibrium Model of Organizing
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Academy of Management Review
Abstract
As organizational environments become more global, dynamic, and competitive, contradictory demands intensify. To understand and explain such tensions, academics and practitioners are increasingly adopting a paradox lens. We review the paradox literature, categorizing types and highlighting fundamental debates. We then present a dynamic equilibrium model of organizing, which depicts how cyclical responses to paradoxical tensions enable sustainability—peak performance in the present that enables success in the future. This review and the model provide the foundation of a theory of paradox.
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This article was originally published in Academy of Management Review . The version of record is available at: http://www.jstor.org/stable/41318006
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SMITH, W. K., & LEWIS, M. W. (2011). TOWARD A THEORY OF PARADOX: A DYNAMIC EQUILIBRIUM MODEL OF ORGANIZING. The Academy of Management Review, 36(2), 381–403. http://www.jstor.org/stable/41318006