Continuously responding to paradox with third spaces: a process study on change in a nursing unit

Abstract

This paper explores how organizations can continuously cope with paradox. A case study on organizational change of a nursing unit shows that establishing third spaces supports organizational members in addressing emerging contradictory issues. Third spaces are social interactions, in which actors can enunciate, reflect and envision responses to contradictory issues. First, the study demonstrates that the third spaces form an ecology of spaces so that organizational actors become involved in addressing their contradictory issues.Second, I show how third spaces emerge and become maintained over time and that they form a duality with contradictory issues. These two insights explain how an organization can continuously cope with paradox. Furtermore, the paper contributes to explaining the shift from defensive to active responses and associated vicious and virtuous cycles. Lastly, third spaces offer a starting point to relate cognitive approaches with social interaction, thus bringing together these two perspectives within the paradox lens.