Designing a Paradigmatic Model of Paradoxical Leadership: A Grounded Theory Approach in the Iranian Organizational Context

Abstract

This study aimed to design a comprehensive and context-specific model for understanding, developing, and implementing paradoxical leadership in Iranian organizations to effectively address increasing complexity and contradictory demands. A qualitative exploratory design using Strauss and Corbin’s grounded theory approach was adopted. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 12 leadership experts, including senior managers, university professors, and researchers. Open, axial, and selective coding techniques were applied to analyze the data until theoretical saturation was achieved. Triangulation and expert validation ensured the rigor and credibility of the findings. The resulting paradigmatic model consists of six core components: causal conditions (individual drivers, organizational contexts, and environmental triggers); core phenomenon (dualistic ontology of leadership and integrative competencies of paradoxical leaders); strategies (evolutionary stages including dialectical awareness and acceptance, convergent-divergent strategic architecture, and feedback-driven implementation); intervening conditions (systemic facilitators and barriers); contextual conditions (obstacles to implementation); and consequences (organizational capability enhancement, individual and collective empowerment, and potential adverse heterogeneity). Paradoxical leadership is a dynamic, multifaceted construct shaped by the interplay of personal attributes, organizational factors, and environmental forces. The proposed model offers a robust theoretical and practical framework for Iranian leaders to harness organizational contradictions, foster innovation and adaptability, and avoid the negative impacts of poorly managed paradoxical leadership.