Reflections on the 2021 AMR Decade Award: Navigating Paradox Is Paradoxical

Abstract

Over the past decade, paradox theory has developed impressively. Such advances have been fueled by a rising collective experience of paradox—as change, scarcity and plurality intensify awareness of conflicting, interdependent and persistent forces—and by a global community of paradox scholars—notably creative, dedicated and mutually supportive. We are honored by the 2021 Decade Award. Our 2011 publication helped shape rigorous research while informing vexing challenges. In this manuscript, we reflect on factors contributing to this scholarly expansion, offering insights into how advances of paradox theory could generalize to the rise of fields more broadly. We then explore the accumulation of paradox scholarship, noting the convergence of key ideas and definitions, while recognizing the divergence of ontologies, methodologies, theories, and phenomena. Building upon expanding insights into how to navigate paradox, we categorize varied approaches into four sets of tools—assumptions (cognition), boundaries (structures), comfort (emotions), and dynamics (change)—presented within an integrative framework that we label the Paradox System. By doing so, we highlight the breadth of underlying research, depict interwoven and paradoxical relationships across categories, and surface a core insight that navigating paradox is paradoxical. Finally, we offer suggestions and provocations for future research.