Abstract

Deliberative processes and participative practices have received growing attention in business ethics, as well as in management, organization, and design studies. There is a sense that this "systemic turn" may have a role in fostering responsible business conduct and sustainable development. In this work, I examine dialogue as a central feature of deliberation and as a collaborative approach for developing shared understanding in conflictual situations. I examined the literature to better understand under what conditions dialogue is more likely to emerge, in order to understand how it may be induced to help address conflictual situations. As relational engagement is suggested as a moderator for the emergence of productive dialogue, I consider these issues by exploring a context whereby relational engagement is a central organizational aim, collaborative housing (cohousing) communities. Within such a context I can identify additional processes and mechanisms that help encourage dialogue in challenging situations. These not-for-profit intentional communities first materialize as real estate development corporations meant to develop high functioning neighborhoods for members. I chose to study the successful resolution of contentious issues within completed cohousing communities using an inductive embedded multiple cross-case analysis, and in so doing several processes and mechanisms that facilitate the emergence of dialogue are noted. The consensus-seeking nature of cohousing communities appears to direct members towards creative deliberative processes that can induce productive dialogue as tensions arise. The demands of working in a deliberative manner led to the creation of dialogical spaces and encouraged the proactive development of dialogical skills. Finally, the outcomes of these dialogues are not always agreement but can be agonistic, as it appears that the shared understanding created by productive dialogue allows community members to live with these differences. This study allows us to consider the antecedent and structural conditions that facilitate the emergence of dialogue when it's needed and reconsider the relationship between consensus and agonism.