The role of paradoxical logic in innovation: The case of Intel

Stakeholder marketing: theoretical foundations and required capabilities

“…Exploring tensions stimulates seeing things from different and multiple angles, thus changing the mental models a firm holds and helping "to discover new links between opposing forces" (Vince and Broussine 1996, p. 4). This is supported by studies that show that some successful firms actively seek tensions to improve decision making (Eisenhardt et al 1997;Norman et al 2004).…”

The Service-Dominant Logic of Marketing: A Logical and Evidential Case for Multiple Logics?

“…Strategic thinking and decisions are likely to be affected by what might be termed the dominant logic paradigms that exist within organisations (Prahalad, 2004;Norman et al, 2004). Prahalad (2004, p. 172) explains that: "Over time, successful recipes -business models, processes, approaches to competition -become embedded in the organisation and represent the dominant logic".…”

“…In examining types of logic and their relationship with innovation in high-technology firms, Norman et al (2004) said that two forms predominated: Formal and Paradoxical. Based on the work of Ford and Backoff (1988), in particular, they show that formal logic, in which rigorous deductive reasoning is stressed, has a number of axioms underpinning it (Norman et al, 2004, p. 54): Axiom of identity ("A thing is equal to itself "); Axiom of noncontradiction: ("A thing cannot be itself and something else"); and Axiom of the excluded middle The Service-Dominant Logic of Marketing, Richard W. Brookes (A thing must be one of two mutually exclusive things; it cannot be both or something in between").…”

“…On the other hand, paradoxical logic was seen by Norman et al (2004) as emphasizing the paradoxes and contradictions arising from the opposing tensions inherent in organizational growth and change. Based on the work of Ford and Backoff (1988), in particular, they show that three axioms underpin paradoxical logic (Norman et al, 2004, p. 57): Axiom of oppositional struggle ("Contradictory opposites exist within each entity and change results from the internal struggle of these contradictory opposites"); Axiom of transformation (Change occurs within an entity when quantitative increases or decreases reach a point where qualitative change results"); and Axiom of negation ("Development occurs by denying previous forms").…”

“…Secondly, we propose FP10 on the grounds of logic, based on Norman et al's (2004) work comparing the assumptions underpinning two logic paradigms -'formal logic' and 'paradoxical logic'. In their examination of why some high-technology firms, in particular, are more innovative than others they concluded that when formal logic and paradoxical logic are combined, "firms are likely to be more innovative and to compete successfully in industries that demand both innovativeness and speed-to-market" (p. 67).…”