Perhaps organizations may best be described in Swanson’s (1991) language, as
based on complementary but disjoint structures. A multi-philosophy approach
therefore recognizes the centrality of paradox in organizations, and that it is not
only possible but also desirable for two ‘inconsistent states’ to exist simultaneously
(Eisenhardt, 2000: 703). Our argument is that rather than concentrating
on one theoretical or philosophical perspective at the expense of competing perspectives,
the value to practice is in developing an understanding of the nexus
between multiple philosophical perspectives, their differences and commonalities.
As Hedberg et al. (1976) argued over 30 years ago, a degree of ambiguity, contradiction,
and incoherence provides the catalyst for organizational learning, diversity
and renewal. The plea here, therefore, is for organizations to put in place
systems that can cope with ambiguity, ambivalence and contradiction. This
suggests that organizations must learn to manage the paradoxical tensions between continuity and change. For example, nurturing innovation alongside
rigorous financial and operational systems; fostering empowerment through
strong and supportive leadership; considering the impact of economic realities
on social goals; and balancing formalized, central controls and policies with
decentralized decision-making that would support more flexible forms of organizing.
As Lewis (2000: 760) argued, paradox offers a ‘powerful framework for
examining the impacts of plurality and change’, because paradox assists ‘understandings
of divergent perspectives and disruptive experiences.’
Managers cannot control organizations the same way that an operator can
control a machine made of moving, but inanimate parts. The multi-philosophy
approach reinforces the need to discard assumptions about opposing values,
instead replacing them with an appreciation of complementary concepts. The
change-stability and order-flexibility paradoxes do not need to be interpreted as
uni-dimensional choices. Flexibility might be essential in a turbulent environment
in order to find new paths to innovation, but order is also necessary to ensure that
innovation is focused and relevant.