Regaining agency with third spaces to address a pragmatic paradox -a process study of change in a nursing unit EGOS 2024 -Milano
Type
conference paper
Date Issued
2024-07-04
Author(s)
Abstract
This paper explores how members of a subordinate unit address a pragmatic paradox. While paradox literature acknowledges insufficient agency as a critical condition for addressing paradox, it overlooks the catch-22 of enhancing meta-communication which requires agency to regain agency. Based on analysis of a change process in a nursing department we argue that actors can address this catch-22 by establishing third spaces-which are social spaces of communication to address contradictory issues. The process study reveals a trajectory of iteratively expanding agency from within the unit to other subordinate actors and to dominant actors, that is driven by spacing patterns of establishing third spaces. These insights form a process model that helps to explain how actors regain agency over time to address a pragmatic paradox. In addition to this contribution, the paper strengthens a relational view on paradox, argues for widening the understandings of paradox beyond contradictory demands, and speaks to literature on social spaces by revealing spacing patterns to establish third spaces.
Language
English
Keywords
pragmatic paradox
paradox
third spaces
healthcare
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open.access
Name
240322-AgencyThirdSpace-EGOS24-Fullpaper.pdf
Size
755.33 KB
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