Using Consequence Networking to Identify Paradox

Our actions can result in paradoxical consequences. The identification of paradox offers a particularly useful means for thinking about problem situations. Historically, the advice on how to identify paradox has been merely to use your imagination and make intuitive leaps. This paper combines paradox with consequences to offer an extended way of thinking about problem situations. This combination also offers a more methodical approach to identifying paradoxical consequences, one that uses network diagramming. Consequence networking is one of the family of cognitive mapping, collaborate cartography or illustrative techniques that can be used in management science to think about complex problem situations. Rather than people, computers or concepts, the nodes become sequences of consequences. From the resultant network, pairs of loops are identified suggesting relevant paradoxes. This networking method is used to help with thinking about how small private physiotherapy clinics might be encouraged to become more innovative and yet remain evidence‐based. Using consequences networking, four paradoxes were identified. These were useful in the subsequent design of an industry development policy.