NOVAFRICA Working Paper: “Leadership paradoxes in Angolan organizations”

A new working paper has been added to the NOVAFRICA Working Paper Series.
Written by Miguel Pina e Cunha, Armanda Fortes, Filipa Rodrigues and Arménio Rego, this paper explores the emergence of paradox in the leadership of Angolan organizations.

Title:
Leadership paradoxes in Angolan organizations: Emic paradoxes, etic paradoxes, and paradox work

Authors:
Miguel Pina e Cunha, Armanda Fortes, Filipa Rodrigues and Arménio Rego.

Abstract:

The study departs from two assumptions. First, it considers that organizations and their leadership are inherently paradoxical and that, in that sense, dealing with paradox is a necessary component of the leadership process. Second, it explores whether the paradoxes of leadership may manifest differently in different contexts. We explore the emergence of paradox in the leadership of Angolan organizations. Angola is an economy transitioning from a centrally-planned to a market mode, and this makes it a rich site for understanding the specificities of paradoxical processes in an under-researched, “rest of the world”, context. The findings of our inductive study led to the emergence of four interrelated paradoxes and highlight the importance of paradoxical work as a management requirement.