Innovation paradoxes

Tea Lempiälä

Chapter 10 in Elgar Encyclopedia of Innovation Management, 2025, pp 34-37 from Edward Elgar Publishing

Abstract: Innovation paradoxes refer to the types of tensions that are made up of contradictory yet interrelated elements and are a persistent part of the innovation process or its outcomes. Such paradoxical tensions differ from managerial dilemmas or more fleeting tensions by the fact that both polarities are necessary for success, and hence, rather than solving them, managers must learn to balance between the competing requirements through acceptance and integration strategies. This entry first briefly discusses paradox research, followed by reviewing paradoxical tensions identified in the field of innovation, and concludes with a summary of central managerial strategies to navigate innovation paradoxes in organizational contexts. More specifically, the chapter discusses five paradoxes in the domain of organizational innovation: exploration-exploitation (ambidexterity), creativity-implementation, control-freedom, openness-control, and paradoxes surfaced by change processes, in addition to which policy paradoxes on the regional level are briefly discussed.

Keywords: Innovation paradox; Ambidexterity; Paradoxical motivation; Integration strategies; Separation strategies; Paradoxical cognition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
ISBN: 9781035306442
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