Organizational paradox is a compelling and timely topic that draws the interest of both researchers and practitioners who seek to understand and manage the tensions that pervade organizations. However, most paradox studies assume that employees respond to tensions either by embracing them (active responses) or by avoiding them (defensive responses). We challenge this assumption and propose that responses to tensions are more nuanced and changeable. We conducted a multiple-case qualitative study with 43 operational-level resort employees who faced tensions during mandatory system usage. We analysed their interviews and identified three paths of responses: Static, intra-dynamic, and inter-dynamic. These paths reflect how users cope with tensions in the same or different ways over time. The static path means using the same response every time. The intra-dynamic path means changing the response within the same group (e.g., from one active response to another). The inter-dynamic path means switching the response across different groups (e.g., from active to defensive). We used a Paradox lens to explain how and why employees follow these paths. Our study contributes to paradox theory and the Information System (IS) literature by revealing the complexity and dynamics of responses to tensions in the mandatory usage context. We discuss the implications of our findings for management theory and practice.
