Appreciative Inquiry: A Tool for Organizational, Programmatic, and Project-Focused Change

This practice paper describes how leadership education faculty and students at Virginia Tech have facilitated change through the use of appreciative inquiry (Ai) at the departmental level, program level, and project level. Appreciative inquiry has been found to be a useful tool for leadership educat...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of leadership education 2013-12, Vol.12 (1), p.18-33
Main Authors: Priest, Kerry L, Kaufman, Eric K, Brunton, Kelsey, Seibel, Megan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Constructivism (Learning)
Focus Groups
Higher Education
Leaders
Leadership
Leadership Training
Organizational Development
Theory Practice Relationship
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Summary:This practice paper describes how leadership education faculty and students at Virginia Tech have facilitated change through the use of appreciative inquiry (Ai) at the departmental level, program level, and project level. Appreciative inquiry has been found to be a useful tool for leadership educators, as its foundation in social constructionist philosophy aligns with contemporary leadership and learning theories. This paper outlines (a) the philosophy of Ai as it applies to organizational development; (b) illustrates Ai practices associated with a five-stage model; and (c) highlights three examples that can be used as models for leading change in a variety of organizational situations. The authors suggest that leadership educators are uniquely positioned to serve academic communities as facilitators of change by bridging theory and practice in pursuit of new ways of knowing and working together.
ISSN:1552-9045
1552-9045
DOI:10.12806/V12/I1/18