Ambivalence in Organizations: A Multilevel Approach

Blake E. Ashforth (), Kristie M. Rogers (), Michael G. Pratt () and Camille Pradies ()
Additional contact information
Blake E. Ashforth: Department of Management, W. P. Carey School of Business, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona 85287
Kristie M. Rogers: Management Area, School of Business, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045
Michael G. Pratt: Management and Organization Department, Carroll School of Management, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467
Camille Pradies: Management and Organization Department, Carroll School of Management, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467

Organization Science, 2014, vol. 25, issue 5, 1453-1478

Abstract: The experience of simultaneously positive and negative orientations toward a person, goal, task, idea, and such appears to be quite common in organizations, but it is poorly understood. We develop a multilevel perspective on ambivalence in organizations that demonstrates how this phenomenon is integral to certain cognitive and emotional processes and important outcomes. Specifically, we discuss the organizational triggers of ambivalence and the cognitive and emotional mechanisms through which ambivalence diffuses between the individual and collective levels of analysis. We offer an integrative framework of major responses to highly intense ambivalence (avoidance, domination, compromise, and holism) that is applicable to actors at the individual and collective levels. The positive and negative outcomes associated with each response, and the conditions under which each is most effective, are explored. Although ambivalence is uncomfortable for actors, it has the potential to foster growth in the actor as well as highly adaptive and effective behavior.

Keywords: ambivalence; hybrid identities; role conflicts; dualities; paradox; sensemaking; sensegiving; emotional contagion; avoidance; domination; compromise; holism; defense mechanisms; coping mechanisms; wisdom; multilevel (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (33)

Downloads: (external link)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1287/orsc.2014.0909 (application/pdf)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:inm:ororsc:v:25:y:2014:i:5:p:1453-1478

Access Statistics for this article

More articles in Organization Science from INFORMS Contact information at EDIRC.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Chris Asher ().