Appreciative Inquiry as a Management Strategy

APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY AS A CHANGE MANAGEMENT STRATEGY

This essay examines Appreciative Inquiry (AI) as a change management strategy, discusses the strengths and weaknesses of AI and the differences between AI and other change methods with the use of case study examples.

Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a modern change management strategy used to discover positive aspects in people and organizations; identifying and building on existing strengths to create a powerful, purposeful change. AI is a ‘systematic discovery of what gives “life” to a living system when it is most alive, most effective, and most constructively capable’ (Cooperrider, David. Whitney, Diana. (2001). It is a humanistic approach which heightens our awareness of our own potential and the potential of others in an organization, allowing us to overcome limits we impose on our capabilities. AI is about identifying the best of ‘what is’ to pursue dreams and possibilities of ‘what could be’.

AI is the...