EMBRACING THE 'AND': THE PERKS OF PARADOXICAL THINKING

Abstract: Individuals, groups, and organizations frequently face seemingly contradictory demands in everyday life. In this symposium, we adopt a paradox lens to examine how individuals, groups, and organizations can effectively navigate such tensions and contradictions by engaging in paradoxical thinking. This involves acknowledging the tension between paradoxical elements, understanding that combining both elements overcomes the downsides of either element alone, and integrating them to discover new solutions. Drawing on multiple methods and theoretical perspectives, we identify certain tensions that individuals, groups, and organizations may grapple with in everyday life. In doing so, we directly or indirectly explore how individuals can use paradoxical thinking to more effectively navigate these tensions. Taken together, this symposium furthers our understanding of how a paradox lens not only helps individuals navigate cooperation, competition, and conflict in organizations, but also how it might be applied to hitherto unexplored contexts including impression management and the management of religious and partisan conflict.

Keywords: paradox mindset, competition, cooperation, conflict, impression management, humility, religion, partisan animosity