Despite advancements in our understanding of organizational paradox, we know little about how individuals navigate paradox when tensions are core to one’s occupational role, but not a dominant concern for senior leaders. This study explores how grantmakers working in corporate philanthropy navigate a business-society paradox when their leaders prioritize business over social objectives at the organization level. Through analyzing interview data from grantmakers alongside observations of their group meetings, I induce a peer-based model of navigating paradox. The findings reveal the important supportive role of relationships with “paradox peers”—ongoing, cooperative connections to individuals external to one’s organization but facing similar paradoxical challenges. I detail three relational mechanisms for engaging paradox that together facilitate the ability of individuals to navigate paradox in their home organizations: connecting with others to relieve tension, collectively protecting the paradox, and collaboratively brainstorming responses. My findings shift paradox scholarship towards a more relational understanding of navigating paradoxes, exploring how engaging tensions outside of one’s organizational boundaries can support the navigation of paradox internally.

中文翻译：

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悖论同行：解决商业社会悖论的关系方法

尽管我们对组织悖论的理解有所进步，但我们对当紧张是一个人的职业角色的核心而不是高级领导者的主要关注点时个人如何驾驭悖论知之甚少。本研究探讨了在企业慈善事业中工作的资助者如何应对企业与社会之间的悖论，因为他们的领导者在组织层面将业务置于社会目标之上。通过分析来自资助者的访谈数据以及对他们小组会议的观察，我得出了一个基于同行的导航悖论模型。研究结果揭示了与“矛盾同伴”的关系的重要支持作用——与组织外部但面临类似矛盾挑战的个人的持续合作关系。我详细介绍了参与悖论的三种关系机制，这些机制共同促进了个人在其家庭组织中应对悖论的能力：与他人联系以缓解紧张局势，集体保护悖论，以及协作进行头脑风暴响应。我的研究结果将悖论学术转向对导航悖论的更相关的理解，探索组织边界之外的紧张局势如何支持内部悖论的导航。