Priestley, James Joseph Ellison (2024) On paradox : rationality, management and desire. PhD thesis, Birkbeck, University of London.
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Abstract
Paradox is subversive. It subverts logic and rational approaches to organising. A paradox consists of priorities or forces which are contradictory and also interdependent. The literature has become a respected body of knowledge not least because paradox is topical. Brexit shows paradoxes of belonging: the desire for sovereignty competes with the need to form partnerships with other nations. Coca Cola must negotiate a paradox of performing by shifting its portfolio to low sugar options while protecting its brand and share price which still depend on its traditional full sugar products. And all innovation causes paradoxes of learning because new practices fight established ones. The literature has studied paradox in many organisational settings. Though its field of inquiry continues to expand there are signs that its ideas are converging. One notable oversight is a lack of substantial work on paradox and the unconscious subject. The paradox community uses some Freudian thinking about defences, but favours cognitive explanations and tends to treat human instinct as a proxy for the unconscious. This thesis offers a psychoanalytic reading of senior managers at TechCo (a global technology firm) as they grapple with three paradoxes, those of belonging, performing and learning. Drawing on Jacques Lacan, I explore how their unconscious desire shapes their conscious endeavours, and aim to contribute to the paradox literature in four ways. First, the Lacanian perspective casts the unconscious as ungovernable and questions the mastery of conscious reason, offering a counterpoint to the positivity of both/and paradoxical thinking advocated. Secondly, it situates the relationship between senior manager and TechCo within an unconscious fantasy which shapes all their conscious interactions. Thirdly, Lacan’s negative ontology, which relates to what he calls the objet a, enriches the literature’s ontological debates and suggests a way for it to keep paradox subversive. Finally, Lacan can help all scholars to recognise their own unconscious desire in the truth claims they make about their research.
Metadata
| Item Type: | Thesis |
|---|---|
| Copyright Holders: | The copyright of this thesis rests with the author, who asserts his/her right to be known as such according to the Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988. No dealing with the thesis contrary to the copyright or moral rights of the author is permitted. |
| Depositing User: | Acquisitions And Metadata |
| Date Deposited: | 03 Jun 2024 16:11 |
| Last Modified: | 04 Jun 2024 13:26 |
| URI: | https://eprints.bbk.ac.uk/id/eprint/53626 |
| DOI: | https://doi.org/10.18743/PUB.00053626 |
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