New Publication  [20.11.25]

We are delighted to announce the new publication by Alanis-Ann Krick and Caroline Ruiner in the Journal of Organizational Sociology:

The publication examines how employees in systemically important areas deal with the tensions between stability and flexibility, thereby contributing to organisational resilience. The study shows that resilience arises primarily through individual actions in dealing with paradoxical demands.

Krick, A.-A. & Ruiner, C. (2025). Organisational Resilience Through Paradox Work: Empirical Insights from Critical Infrastructure Organisations in Germany. Journal of Organisational Sociology. https://doi.org/10.1515/joso-2025-0046

Based on 40 qualitative interviews in four German critical infrastructure organisations, the article shows that resilience is not based solely on processes or structures, but arises primarily from the everyday actions of employees. The analysis identifies three key areas of tension:

• Structure vs. adaptability,
• Autonomy vs. collective coordination,
• Egalitarian participation vs. clear leadership.

The results expand existing resilience and paradox research by showing that ‘paradox work’ – i.e. actively dealing with contradictory requirements – is a central mechanism of organisational resilience.

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