Trying Not to Try: The Paradox of Intentionality in Jazz Improvisation and its Implications for Organizational Scholarship

Organizational scholars have long been interested in how jazz musicians manage tensions between structure and freedom, plans action, familiarity novelty. Although improvisation has conceptualized as a way of managing such paradoxes, the process itself contains paradoxes. In this essay, we return to identify new paradox interest organizational scholars: intentionality. To improvise creatively, report that they must “try not try,” or risk undermining very spontaneity is prized jazz. Jazz improvisers therefore control their ability relinquish deliberate actions. accomplish this, engage three interdependent practices. intentionally surrender sense active (“letting go”) while creating passive externalized role for (using “third ear”). Letting go allows unexpected ideas emerge, metaphorical third ear can promising problematic execution and, doing so, re-engage agency (“grabbing hold”). Examining practices within creative reveals complexity lived experience paradox, which argue suggests further integration among research on improvisation, creativity, paradox.