Synopses & Reviews
Synopsis
Paradoxes emerge everywhere in organizational theory and management practice. This book is a theoretically grounded presentation of the strategic and historical context of organizational paradoxes, exploring the different paradoxes that can occur in organizational management and the available paradox tactics to manage them. Based on 700 academic sources in the paradox literature, it presents paradox management as a nuanced and coherent organizational perspective focused upon the challenge of managing paradoxes.
In presenting and integrating the vast literature on the subject, it contributes new knowledge such as how and why the paradox concept was introduced into management theory, how and why conflicting ideals of management can produce organizational contradictions, and how paradoxes can be managed within an organization.
Synopsis
Chapter 1. Introduction: The Quest for Value. 8
Part I. The external context 17
Chapter 2. The strategic context. The mother of paradox. 20
Scarcity: In need of time, skills and money. 22
Environmental change: Confusion logics in management 25
Institutional plurality: New rules of the game challenge value creation. 28
Chapter summary: Challenged organizational boundaries produce paradoxes 33
Chapter 3. The historical context. Contradictory ideals of management 35
Authority and autonomy: Reason as much as you like, but obey. 36
The interest paradigm: Organize to combat paradoxes. 38
The design paradigm: Eliminate paradoxes. 40
The needs paradigm: Build relations to guard against paradoxes. 42
The knowledge paradigm: Inspire to overcome paradoxes. 43
The complexity paradigm: Release the organization. 44
Chapter summary: Paradox theory is a corrective and a supplement to traditional organizational theory 45
Part II. The organizational paradoxes. 49
Chapter 4. The foundation. A new perspective on management in complexity. 50
The paradox concept: The birth and expansion of an alluring concept 53
Contradictions: The root system and wingspan of paradoxes. 58
Tensions: Paradoxes are experienced as tensions. 60
Chapter summary: Paradoxes unite theory positions. 63
Chapter 5. The paradox types. Tensions in organizing, performance, belonging, and learning 65
Organizing: Barriers for the post-bureaucratic organization. 66
Performing: When you reach the cross-road, go to the left and to the right 73
Belonging: You, me, us and them... 79
Learning: Tensions of time. 84
Chapter summary: Paradoxes produce devastating and constructive outcomes 88
Part III. The management tactics. 90
Chapter 6. Paradox tactics: Avoid, activate, transcend. 91
Tactical logics: The organizational ability to create value. 94
Avoidance: Avoid paradoxes. 96
Activation: Activate paradoxes. 103
Transcendence: Transcend paradoxes. 111
Turning points: Renew the organizational ability to create value. 114
Chapter summary: A new language on managing complexity. 117
Chapter 7. Value creation: Paradoxes as a holistic perspective on management 119
The building blocks: The platform of paradox management 119
Management practice: Identify and confront organizational paradoxes. 122
Chapter summary: Value creation through tensions. 125
Concluding remarks. Optimism and skepticism in the quest for value. 127
Index.