Application of Appreciative Inquiry for Organizational Changes during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Abstract

It is well established that Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a successful method for organizational development (OD). Although AI has been acknowledged as a valuable tool to manage organizational change, there is no information in the literature that explains how AI practices should be implemented during a crisis, like the current COVID-19 crisis. This study explores which features of AI are of importance, whether the AI implementation process needs modifications during crises, which organizational factors play crucial roles in facilitating the successful implementation of AI during a crisis. To examine all that, semi-structured interviews were conducted with scholars and practitioners of the AI worldwide community of practice. The data was analyzed according to the grounded theory. The findings show that AI navigates organizations perfectly through a crisis due to its opportunistic approach, inclusive nature and clarity of the process. The core processes hold for when applied during crises, but the work of the AI facilitator becomes paramount to address the needs of the circumstances. Organizational trust can be established by applying the AI processes, which include effective communication practices. With these AI processes and the mindset it creates, organizations become more resilient towards disruptions. To sum up, the value of AI hold in times of crisis; however, this study bolds the necessary nuances of the AI practices to be brought in times of crisis, which makes the findings highly relevant for practice.