Learning through Paradox: A Pedagogical Strategy for Exploring Contradictions and Complexity

Abstract

Over the past decade, the notion of paradox has become increasingly of interest in organization studies. This article seeks to extend the topic to the arena of management education. Specifically, we present paradox as one means of raising the complexity of students’ understandings of what it means to manage in an increasingly turbulent world. Invoking a “pedagogy of paradox” intentionally introduces contradictions that exist simultaneously to discussion, thereby initially prompting a degree of confusion and feelings of anxiety to stimulate creative thinking that moves beyond either—or toward both—and understandings. We begin by discussing the key components of paradox, then introduce three pedagogical strategies—conceptual polarities, personal contradictions, and paradoxical predicaments—and elaborate accompanying classroom exercises for each.