Chapter 4: Methodology and Methods
4.3 Appreciative Inquiry
4.3.1 Principles of appreciative inquiry
The appropriateness of appreciative inquiry as a methodology for this study partly lies in it evolving from a research method for making grounded theory-building more generative (Cooperrider & Srivastava, 1987; Watkins et al., 2011). Appreciative inquiry is a means of systematically identifying assets and utilising these as building blocks to achieve a specific group of people’s common, collective dream (Stavros et al., 2018). It does not attempt to ignore the challenges present. Instead, it is a systematic process that seeks to direct inquiry towards the objective vision’s desired direction by focusing on growth through assets instead of attending to existing deficits. The application of appreciative inquiry as a methodology in organisational development has been highlighted by Grieten et al. (2018), Mallory (2020), Sim et al. (2018), and Woo and Paskewitz (2021). These studies emphasise the transformative role appreciative inquiry has played in developing and improving organisational leadership and creating a conducive and safe work environment (Gallagher et al., 2019; Waterford et al., 2020).
Stavros et al. (2018) list the main principles of appreciative inquiry, including some emergent ones as originally designed by Cooperrider and Godwin (2012), which are presented in Table 4.1. This table demonstrates how appreciative inquiry principles were embodied in this research and how appreciative philosophy was applied. This entire appreciative research process enabled all stakeholders to become involved in the dialogue. Establishing mutual ownership of the outcomes from the start resulted in collaborative processes to facilitate the co-creation of knowledge and policies for the future of older workers. The internalisation of positive aspects of a situation developed the belief that the participants could manage the reality of constant and relentless change and also shape it for their desired future (Cooperrider et al., 2008; Whitney & Trosten-Bloom, 2010).
Table 4.1: Principles of appreciative inquiry
Principle Descriptions Application
Constructivist Reality and identity are co- constructed;
Different elements are deeply interconnected;
Words create worlds where reality is constructed through language.
Participants interviewed through strategic, strengths-based questions.
Participants shared their perspectives of reality through the narrative interviews.
Simultaneity We live in a world our questions create;
The unconditional positive question is transformational;
Change begins when we ask a question.
The strategic questions asked during the interview were designed for participants to reflect.
The transformative change in fact took place in tandem with the interviews and reflections.
Poetic Life experiences are rich;
Develop an appreciative eye;
What we focus on grow.
Reflections focused on positive and peak experiences in participants’ lives. The areas of growth were ones given specific attention.
Anticipatory Create vision before decisions;
Positive images create positive futures;
Big changes start small.
Participants afforded opportunities to envision ideal contexts, situations and environments.
Positive Positive emotions broaden thought and construct;
Necessary to identify strengths and leverage upon them.
Participants experienced positive emotions from the outset.
Positive emotions set the tone for the narratives shared during the interview.
Wholeness Wholeness encourages more expansive thinking than reductionism;
Formation of an emerging whole.
The interviews involved three groups of stakeholders: older workers, adult educators and industry experts.
All stakeholders played a part in the creation of a better and improved whole.
Enactment Embodying the dream;
The self-fulfilment of a vision.
Participants were given the opportunity of living the future, making the dream a possible reality through envisioning an ideal future during the narrative interviews.
Free Choice The Freedom of clarity allows us to pursue life freely;
Freedom liberates people and gives them control.
Participants were given freedom of expression.
Encouraged to reflect towards achieving better outcomes out of their own volition.
Narrative We construct stories about our lives;
Stories are transformative.
Through the provision of narrative interviews, participants were given
opportunities to reflect on peak experiences in their lives.
Awareness Practice cycles of action and reflection, where we act, reflect, and act with awareness;
Be conscious of underlying assumptions.
Participants became more cognisant and engaged when afforded the opportunity to reflect and share their life experiences, particularly positive ones.
Note. This table is a summary of the description and application of the appreciative inquiry principles in this study. The principles are adapted from Whitney and Trosten-Bloom (2010).
The application of the principles of appreciative inquiry was necessary, first, to allow transition from a problem-solving perspective to one that is vision or possibility centric (Cooperrider et al., 2008; Whitney & Trosten-Bloom, 2010). Next, the constructivist principle states that human knowledge and experiences are interwoven with their destiny (Watkins et al., 2019). Organisations and communities are therefore living human constructions, capable of fashioning fresh discourses and crafting conceptions of knowledge through dialogue and envisioning positive images of the future (Cooperrider & Whitney, 2005; Cooperrider et al., 2008). This dialogue occurred through the second principle in appreciative inquiry, the simultaneity principle, whereby the seeds of change are rooted in dialogues between stakeholders. This dialogue formed the seeds from which changes flourished, and transformation took effect. Third, the poetic principle suggested that people’ focus determined the direction of growth; therefore, if the discussion adopted an appreciative lens, the growth leaned towards improvement and positive change (Cooperrider et al., 2008; Whitney, 2010).
To execute these principles effectively, the anticipatory principle should be considered, as it encouraged utilising positive imagery as an impetus to effect positive change. In addition, the dialogues were enveloped with positivity, and this attitude was encouraged throughout the conversations that enabled the development of transformative ideas and effecting change towards what was envisioned (Cooperrider et al., 2008; Whitney & Trosten-Bloom, 2010).
Next, another principle crucial to the appreciative inquiry process is the wholeness principle. By engaging the different groups of relevant stakeholders, the sum of these parts formed a cohesive and ideal whole (Andrus, 2010). This wholeness reflected the collective dream of all relevant stakeholders; also, how common strengths can form the core foundation of what they envision and hope to achieve (Cooperrider et al., 2008; Watkins et al., 2011). In addition, the enactment and free choice principles allowed participants to enjoy the freedom to consider their future, as people must have the freedom to decide in order to envision and work towards their desired future (Stavros et al., 2018). This relates to the awareness
principle, as people with the freedom to decide became acutely aware of the underlying factors driving and influencing their lives. Lastly, the narrative principle allowed participants to reflect and share their life stories through the narrative interviews (Cooperrider et al., 2008;
Whitney & Trosten-Bloom, 2010).
To conclude, these appreciative inquiry principles were personified within the data collection process and consonant with the 4-D cycle of appreciative inquiry (Cooperrider &
Whitney, 2005; Cooperrider et al., 2008). The application of these principles facilitated data collection from the first two phases of the appreciative inquiry cycle. Through this process, the study sought to evaluate and analyse the appreciative factors of older workers in Singapore and how they informed employment and training policies to facilitate transformation in these workers’ perceptions.