Multilevel Dialectical Approaches in Organizational Management, Culture, and Technology : A Bibliometric Systematic Literature Review

Abstract

This study examines how dialectical approaches, defined as the recognition, reconciliation, and integration of opposing elements, are conceptualized and studied in organizational contexts. Through a bibliometric-systematic literature review of 92 journal articles (2011-2025), this study maps how dialectical approaches and their conceptual proxies (paradox, ambidexterity) manifest in leadership, culture, and technology in business. The analysis uncovers four key clusters: (1) dialectical approaches enacted through internal and external leadership practices, (2) cognitive, cultural, and relational foundations of dialectical approaches, (3) structural and systemic expressions of dialectical approaches, and (4) dialectical approaches to managing and synthesizing technological tensions. Across the clusters, dialectics emerge as a mindset and organizational capability shaped by cultural contexts and technological pressure. Leadership plays a central role, enabling integration across opposing demands and fostering innovation, adaptability, and resilience. This study clarifies conceptual overlaps and divergences between dialectical approaches and related terms, offering a unified definition to guide this and future research. It proposes a multilevel framework that connects the cognitive, relational, and structural expressions of dialectical approaches in the literature. In addition, it outlines a research agenda to advance their theoretical and practical relevance in organizational studies. In doing so, dialectical approaches serve as a generative lens for understanding and navigating persistent tensions in contemporary business environments.