Discourse and the Study of Organizational Paradoxes, Contradictions, and Dialectics

• In Event: Theorizing the Research on Organizational Paradoxes, Contradictions, and Dialectics

Abstract

In the study of paradox and the related themes of tensions, contradictions and dialectics, some researchers explicitly orient to features of discourse such as problem labeling, ambiguity, irony, or humor (Ford & Backoff, 1988; Hatch, 1997; Huxham & Beech, 2003; Real & Putnam, 2005). However, many others researchers restrict their discursive orientation by focusing only on thematic content, case studies, and grounded theory methods (Cho, Mathiassen, & Robey, 2006; Fairhurst, Cooren, & Cahill, 2002; Lüscher & Lewis, 2008; Tracy, 2004). When the latter occurs, discourse typically becomes a resource or form of representation for paradoxical phenomena and/or system dynamics, not a topic worthy of research in its own right (Sheep, Fairhurst, Khanzanchi, & Slay, 2010). The purpose of this of this presentation will be to raise awareness of the power of a discursive lens to build paradox theory, develop more insightful analyses, and enhance reflexivity among practitioners.

References:
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Author

• Gail Fairhurst, U of Cincinnati