A Quantum Approach to Paradox Entails neither Preexisting Tensions nor Asymmetry: Response to Xin Li

We welcome the opportunity to engage in a dialogue about our work (Hahn & Knight, 2019). In fact, we had hoped that our quantum approach would inspire scholars to reexamine the assumptions that are brought to bear in studying organizational paradoxes. We interpret Li’s (2020) dialogue piece as a restatement of the underlying theoretical contributions we make in our original article, rather than something conceptually new. We note that Li chooses to deploy some new terms, though, which has the potential to be unhelpful, given the complexity of integrating disciplinary fields as diverse as physics and organizational theory. Overall, we see Li’s efforts as an opportunity to clarify some core features of a quantum approach to paradox that may not have become clear enough in our original conceptualization. We now detail the main points of Li’s dialogue and our response to these so as to advance the conversation on organizational paradox and the quantum approach.