Decision making and paradox: Why study China?

Decision making has been studied from various angles and perspectives. Despite much progress, the role of paradox and the ways it reveals itself in decision making has received little attention. Perhaps, part of the reason is that paradox has been studied in the West based on the analysis of Western managers’ activities while neglecting the fact that in the East, and especially in China, paradox has always been integral to managerial decision making. This “viewpoint” article seeks to highlight China as an important research setting that could add impetus to the study of paradox and decision making. It sheds light on questions such as: What do we know about paradox today and how do Western scholars treat this notion? What does research say about decision making in China? Is there a potential to get a better understanding of the concepts of paradox if study it in decision making in China?.