Appreciative Inquiry

According to Cooperrider & Whitney (1999) Appreciate Inquiry is the cooperative search for the best in people, their organizations, and the world around them. It involves systematic discovery of what gives a system ‘life’ when it is most effective and capable in economic, ecological, and human terms. It involves the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system’s capacity to heighten positive potential. It mobilizes inquiry through crafting an ‘unconditional positive question’. Appreciative Inquiry utilizes a 4-stage process:


DISCOVER: The identification of organizational processes that work well.
DREAM: The envisioning of processes that would work well in the future.
DESIGN: Planning and prioritizing processes that would work well.
DESTINY (or DELIVER): The implementation (execution) of the proposed design.

A recent research report (Evans, 2007) utilsed Appreciative Inquiry as its researcghmethodology on the basis that it promotes positive organisational change by appreciating and buidling on strenghts where they exist. According to Staron et al. (2006) Appreciative Inquiry is an emergent, self-organising, interconnected process that reinforces a consultative, collaborative, particiaptory approach to organisational change and growth.

According to Evans (2007:5) the process of Appreciative Inquiry, whilst it seeks positive stories and asks questions to engage co-researcher imagination, does not ignore tensions. Tensions and challenges are identified by coresearchers identifying ‘enablers’ and considering questions such as ‘what could make it better?”

According to Bushe (1995), Appreciative Inquiry is a product of the socio-rationalist paradigm (Gergen, 1982, 1990) that treats social and psychological reality as a product of the moment, open to continuous reconstruction.

Rather than a 4-stage process, Bushe (1995) posits a 3-stage process:

Discovering the best of.... Appreciative interventions begin with a search for the best examples of organizing and organization within the experience of organizational members.

Understanding what creates the best of.... The inquiry seeks to create insight into the forces that lead to superior performance, as defined by organizational members. What is it about the people, the organization, and the context that creates peak experiences at work?


Amplifying the people and processes who best exemplify the best of.... Through the process of the inquiry itself, the elements that contribute to superior performance are reinforced and amplified.
Appreciate Inquiry and Action Research
According to Bushe (1995) Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider & Srivastva, 1987), a theory of organizing and method for changing social systems, is one of the more significant innovations in action research in the past decade. Those who created action research in the 1950s were concerned with creating a research method that would lead to practical results as well as the development of new social theory. It was hoped that action research would be an important tool in social change. A key emphasis of action researchers has been on involving their "subjects" as co-researchers. Action research was and still is a cornerstone of organization development practice. Appreciative Inquiry "...refers to both a search for knowledge and a theory of intentional collective action which are designed to help evolve the normative vision and will of a group, organization, or society as a whole" (Cooperrider & Srivastva, 1987, p.159). Cooperrider makes the theory of change embedded in appreciative inquiry explicit in a later paper on the affirmative basis of organizing (Cooperrider, 1990). In this paper Cooperrider proffers the "heliotropic hypothesis" - that social forms evolve toward the "light"; that is, toward images that are affirming and life giving. In essence his argument is that all groups, organizations, communities or societies have images of themselves that underlay self-organizing processes and that social systems have a natural tendency to evolve toward the most positive images held by their members. Conscious evolution of positive imagery, therefore, is a viable option for changing the social system as a whole.

According to Troxel (2002), Appreciate Inquiry as an Action Research method that:

1. Sets out to discover the elements and factors in an organization that enabled it to achieve success in the past, and

2. Then builds upon those elements and factors to help the organization create a positive future.

Troxel (2002), after Gergen (1978) characterises Appreciative Inquiry, like Action Research as encouraging a "generative capacity," a "capacity to challenge the guiding assumptions of the culture, to raise fundamental questions regarding contemporary social life, to foster reconsideration of that which is 'taken for granted' and thereby furnish new alternatives for social actions". He claims that Appreciative Inquiry has this capacity in that organization members – through in-depth interviews – are given the opportunity to retell the story about their organization and its future directions. He also suggest that part of the task of action research is to produce a theory of change, which emerges from the change process itself. Appreciative Inquiry is "grounded theory building" (Glaser and Strauss, 1967) in the sense that the operating framework and images of the future of the organization emerge from the stuff of the organizational life itself.

According to Reason & McArdle (2004), practitioners of appreciative inquiry argue that action research has been limited by its romance with critique at the expense of appreciation. To the extent that action research maintains a problem-oriented view of the world it diminishes the capacity of researchers and practitioners to produce innovative theory capable of inspiring the imagination, commitment, and passionate dialogue required for the consensual re-ordering of social conduct. If we devote our attention to what is wrong with organizations and communities, we lose the ability to see and understand what gives life to organizations and to discover ways to sustain and enhance that life-giving potential. Appreciative inquiry therefore begins with the unconditional positive question that guides inquiry agendas and focuses attention toward the most life-giving, life-sustaining aspects of organizational existence.

According to Cooperrider and Srivastva (2005), Appreciative Inquiry presents a conceptual reconfiguration of action research - a multidimensional view of action-research that seeks to both generate theory and develop organizations.

In summary, Appreciative Inquiry, an evolved form of Action Research (AR) , differs from AR in its focus on a positive perspective and provides a basis for theory generation – a facet that is often ignored in many action research projects?

Data Collection Methods
Both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods can be deployed as part of an Appreciative Inquiry. Evans (2007:5-6) used an online survey; success stories and desk research inclduing a literature review and an analyis of activity as well as collaborative research in the form of a research wiki and research blog.

According to Bushe (1995), the original form of Appreciative Inquiry developed by David Cooperrider involved a bottom-up interview process where almost all organizational members were interviewed to uncover the "life-giving forces" in the organization. People were asked to recall times they felt "most alive, most vital, most energized at work" and were then questioned about those incidents. The interview data were then treated much the same as any qualitative data set; through content analysis the consultants looked for what people in the organization valued and what conditions led to superior performance. This analysis was fed back into a large planning group which was charged with developing "provocative propositions". Provocative propositions were statements of organizational aspiration and intent, based on the analysis of the organization at it's very best. These propositions were then validated by organizational members along two dimensions:

1) how much does this statement capture our values?, and
2) how much are we like this?

Nothing more was done with the data, analysis or propositions.
Data Anaysis
According to Bushe (1995), what is normally the "data analysis" stage of action research needs to be done totally differently in an appreciative inquiry. Rather than ‘analysis’ Bushe uses the terms 'proalysis' and 'synergalysis': getting as many people as possible reading the most important interviews and stories in order to stimulate their thinking about the appreciative topic. Then trying to orchestrate one or more meetings where organizational members and consultants try to go beyond what they were told by the interviewees to craft propositional statements about the appreciative topic that will capture people's energy and excitement: not trying to extract themes from the data or categorize responses and add them up but trying to generate new theory that will have high face value to members of the organization. What makes this legitimate research, is that we go back to those we interviewed with these propositions and ask them if we have captured the spirit, if not the letter, of the meaning of the interviews. If they say yes, we have generated new theory based on something more real than simply imagination and good intentions. The emphasis in the Bushe appoach is on designing inquiry methods that amplify the values the system is seeking to actualize during the all phases of the inquiry process.
References
Bushe, G.R. (1995). Advances in Appreciative Inquiry as an Organization Development Intervention, Organization Development Journal, Fall Vol.13, No.3, pp.14-22 retrieved 5 May 2007 from http://www.gervasebushe.ca/aiodj.htm

Cooperrider, D.L. and Srivastva, S. (2005) Appreciative Inquiry in Organizational Life. In Appreciative Inquiry and the Quest: A new theory and methodology of human development, J.G.Lord (2005), Cleveland, Ohio, retrieved 5 May 2007 from http://www.appreciative-inquiry.org/AI-Life.htm
Cooperrider, D.L. & Whitney, D. (1999). Appreciative Inquiry: A positive revolution in change. In P. Holman & T. Devane (eds.), The Change Handbook, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., pages 245-263. retrieved 5 May 2007 from http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/uploads/whatisai.pdf
Evans, V. (2007). Networks, Connections and Community: Learning with Social Software, Australian Flexible Learning Framework, retrieved 3 May 2007 from http://www.flexiblelearning.net.au/flx/webdav/site/flxsite/shared/Research%20and%20Policy%20Advice/Final_Report_Social_Software_for_Learning17April.pdf
Reason, P. and McArdle, K.L. (2004). Brief notes on the theory and practice of action research, Centre for Action Research in Professional practice, University of Bath, in In Understanding Research Methods for Social Policy and Practice. Saul Becker and Alan Bryman (eds) Bristol: The Polity Press, retrieved 5 May 2007 from http://people.bath.ac.uk/mnspwr/Papers/BriefNotesAR.htm

Staron, M, Jasinski, M and Weatherley, R (2006) Life Based Learning: A strength based approach for capability development in Vocational Education and Training . TAFE NSW: Australia, retrieved 5 May 2007 from http://www.icvet.tafensw.edu.au/resources/life_based_learning.htm

Troxel, J.P. (2002 - unpublished). Appreciative Inquiry: An Action Research Method for Organizational Transformation and its Implications to the Practice of Group Process Facilitation, Millennia Consulting, LLC, Chicago, Illinois, retrieved 5 may 2007 from http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/uploads/Troxel%20Appreciative%20Inquiry8-02.doc




Annotated Bibliography

Gergen, K. (1978). Toward Generative Theory, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 36, pp.1344 - 1360.

Gergen, K. (1982) Toward Transformation in Social Knowledge. New York: Spring-Verlag.

Gergen, K. (1990) Affect and organization in postmodern society. In S. Srivastva & D.L. Cooperrider (eds.), Appreciative Management and Leadership (pp.153-174). San Francisco, Jossey-Bass.

Glaser, B. G., & Strauss, A. L. (1967). The Discovery of Grounded Theory. Chicago: Aldine.


Appreciative Inquiry is about the co-evolutionary search for the best in people, their organizations, and the relevant world around them. In its broadest focus, it involves systematic discovery of what gives “life” to a living system when it is most alive, most effective, and most constructively capable in economic, ecological, and human terms. AI involves, in a central way, the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system’s capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten positive potential. It centrally involves the mobilization of inquiry through the crafting of the “unconditional positive question” often-involving hundreds or sometimes thousands of people. In AI the arduous task of intervention gives way to the speed of imagination and innovation; instead of negation, criticism, and spiraling diagnosis, there is discovery, dream, and design. AI seeks, fundamentally, to build a constructive union between a whole people and the massive entirety of what people talk about as past and present capacities: achievements, assets, unexplored potentials, innovations, strengths, elevated thoughts, opportunities, benchmarks, high point moments, lived values, traditions, strategic competencies, stories, expressions of wisdom, insights into the deeper corporate spirit or soul-- and visions of valued and possible futures. Taking all of these together as a gestalt, AI deliberately, in everything it does, seeks to work from accounts of this “positive change core”—and it assumes that every living system has many untapped and rich and inspiring accounts of the positive. Link the energy of this core directly to any change agenda and changes never thought possible are suddenly and democratically mobilized.”
Cooperrider, D.L. & Whitney, D., “Appreciative Inquiry: A positive revolution in change.” In P. Holman & T. Devane (eds.), The Change Handbook, Berrett-Koehler Publishers, Inc., pages 245-263.
“The traditional approach to change is to look for the problem, do a diagnosis, and find a solution. The primary focus is on what is wrong or broken; since we look for problems, we find them. By paying attention to problems, we emphasize and amplify them. …Appreciative Inquiry suggests that we look for what works in an organization. The tangible result of the inquiry process is a series of statements that describe where the organization wants to be, based on the high moments of where they have been. Because the statements are grounded in real experience and history, people know how to repeat their success.”
Hammond, Sue. The Thin Book of Appreciative Inquiry. Thin Book Publishing Company, 1998, pages 6-7.
“Appreciative Inquiry focuses us on the positive aspects of our lives and leverages them to correct the negative. It’s the opposite of ‘problem-solving.”
White, T.H. Working in Interesting Times: Employee morale and business success in the information age. Vital Speeches of the Day, May 15, 1996, Vol XLII, No. 15.
“Appreciative Inquiry [is] a theory and practice for approaching change from a holistic framework. Based on the belief that human systems are made and imagined by those who live and work within them, AI leads systems to move toward the generative and creative images that reside in their most positive core – their values, visions, achievements, and best practices.” “AI is both a world view and a practical process. In theory, AI is a perspective, a set of principles and beliefs about how human systems function, a departure from the past metaphor of human systems as machines. Appreciative Inquiry has an attendant set of core processes, practices, and even ‘models’ that have emerged. In practice, AI can be used to co-create the transformative processes and practices appropriate to the culture of a particular organization.” “Grounded in the theory of ‘social constructionism,’ AI recognizes that human systems are constructions of the imagination and are, therefore, capable of change at the speed of imagination. Once organization members shift their perspective, they can begin to invent their most desired future.”
Watkins, J.M. & Bernard J. Mohr. Appreciative Inquiry: Change at the Speed of Imagination, Jossey-Bass, 2001, pages xxxi - xxxii
“[Appreciative Inquiry] deliberately seeks to discover people’s exceptionality – their unique gifts, strengths, and qualities. It actively searches and recognizes people for their specialties – their essential contributions and achievements. And it is based on principles of equality of voice – everyone is asked to speak about their vision of the true, the good, and the possible. Appreciative Inquiry builds momentum and success because it believes in people. It really is an invitation to a positive revolution. Its goal is to discover in all human beings the exceptional and the essential. Its goal is to create organizations that are in full voice!”
Cooperrider, D.L. et. al. (Eds) , Lessons from the Field: Applying Appreciative Inquiry, Thin Book Publishing, 2001, page 12.
“Appreciative Inquiry is a form of organizational study that selectively seeks to highlight what are referred to as “life-giving forces” (LGF’s) of the organization’s existence. These are “ – the unique structure and processes of (an) organization that makes its very existence possible. LGF’s may be ideas, beliefs, or values around which the organizing activity takes place.”
Srivastva, S., et al. Wonder and Affirmation, (undated from Lessons of the Field: Applying Appreciative Inquiry, page 42.)
“AI is an exciting way to embrace organizational change. Its assumption is simple: Every organization has something that works right – things that give it life when it is most alive, effective, successful, and connected in healthy ways to its stakeholders and communities. AI begins by identifying what is positive and connecting to it in ways that heighten energy and vision for change.” “…AI recognizes that every organization is an open system that depends on its human capital to bring its vision and purpose to life.” “… The outcome of an AI initiative is a long-term positive change in the organization.” “… AI is important because it works to bring the whole organization together to build upon its positive core. AI encourages people to work together to promote a better understanding of the human system, the heartbeat of the organization.”
Cooperrider, David L; Whitney, Diana; and Stavros, Jacqueline M., Appreciative Inquiry Handbook: The First in a Series of AI Workbooks for Leaders of Change, Lakeshore Communications, 2003, Pages XVII – XIX
AI involves, in a central way, the art and practice of asking questions that strengthen a system’s capacity to apprehend, anticipate, and heighten positive potential. It centrally involves the mobilization of inquiry through the crafting of the “unconditional positive question, often involving hundreds or sometimes thousands of people. …AI deliberately, in everything it does, seeks to work from accounts of the “positive change core” – and it assumes that every living system has many untapped and rich and inspiring accounts of the positive. Link the energy of this core directly to any change agenda and changes never thought possible are suddenly and democratically mobilized.” …As people are brought together to listen carefully to the innovations and moments of organizational “life,” sometimes in storytelling modes and sometimes in interpretive and analytic modes, a convergence zone is created where the future begins to be discerned in the form of visible patterns interwoven into the texture of the actual. …Images of the future emerge out of grounded examples from an organization’s positive past. … [This convergence zone facilitates] the collective repatterning of human systems.”
Cooperrider, David L, et. Al, Appreciative Inquiry: Rethinking Human Organization Toward a Positive Theory of Change, Stipes Publishing, 2000.
“Appreciative Inquiry is a form of action research that attempts to create new theories/ideas/images that aide in the developmental change of a system (Cooperrider & Srivastva, 1987.) The key data collection innovation of appreciative inquiry is the collection of people’s stories of something at its best…. These stories are collectively discussed in order to create new, generative ideas or images that aid in the developmental change of the collectivity discussing them.”
Bushe, Gervase, “Five Theories of Change Embedded in Appreciative Inquiry,” presented at the 18th Annual World Congress of Organization Development, 1998.
“AI is intentional inquiry and directed conversation and story-telling that leads to a place of possibility. Possibility is fresh, new, and sacred. The story is the genesis of all that is human. Societies are stories, as are companies, schools, cities, families and individuals. There are bricks and mortar and flesh and bones, but all of it comes from a story. Even the flesh and bones of one person comes from a story of two people uniting to form another. I can think of a many moments where groups reached a profound spot with Ai and touched a sense of freedom. Usually one person would say something like, "From what we heard in these stories, we could_..." and there follows a collective deep breath and then silence as people consider the new "we could". Possibility sits in the room as a space of silence and then thought fills the space. Where does the thought that enters at that time, which has a feeling of vitality and newness, come from? It does not come from the person who spoke because that person would not have developed that thought without the conversations that led to synapses firing in a certain way. The thought is not merely a product of the collective because an individual must form the thought. The thought comes out of relationship, conversation, and newly created images. This "thing called Ai" is one of the finest ways to experience the power of language and to hone our skills with words, ideas, and stories. There are times when the possibility is so stunning the group has to sit in silence if just for a couple ticks before saying, "well, yes, maybe, why not, let's do it." There must be a gap that arises in the field of the known to entertain the unbridled possibility of novelty. There is a break in the routine story and supporting conversations so something new can creep in. This is the opening where novelty can arise. With no gap, we only have the billiard ball predictability of continuity. The openness to new ideas is not coerced. People don't have to force each other to listen to other's ideas and possibilities: minds are opened because the nature of the stories are so compelling and energetic.”
Steinbach, John. Contribution to the AI Listserve, July 2005