We explore how a graduate level course we developed about tensions in multi-stakeholder partnerships (MSPs), may foster the development of a paradox mindset and paradoxical thinking skills among business students. We analyzed students’ reflective essays (n=77) and present a process model that depicts how students’ awareness about tensions is triggered, how they work through tensions using sensory mechanisms – cognition (head), praxis (hands) and affect (heart) at both individual and collective levels – and how these learning dynamics influence a mental shift from either-or thinking towards both-and thinking. While our study confirms the theoretical premise that paradox mindsets are a malleable state of mind that can be cultivated and/or purposefully developed, we expand this premise to the classroom setting. Moreover, by providing a unique student-based account of learning about paradoxes and highlighting the importance of group work and reflexive writing in fostering paradoxical thinking among business school students, we contribute to the emergent paradox pedagogy in management education. Overall, then, our study heeds increased scholarly interest in developing the paradox mindset among business managers and leaders, necessary to effectively navigate complex, ambiguous problems that organizations encounter in the face of wicked problems.
