ORCID

Abstract

Appreciative inquiry has become increasingly popular as a method for facilitating organisational or systemic change through focusing on the positive aspects and ‘life giving properties of a system’ as opposed to traditional ‘deficit-based’ approaches. However, there has been criticism that this process could invalidate negative experiences of organisations and/or systems. This is particularly problematic if an existing system is seen by its users as providing little value or if there is potential dissonance regarding system value among key stakeholders. Using two case studies of open appreciative inquiry by Plymouth City Council staff, this article outlines how the use of a liberally defined, human-learning-system informed, approach to appreciative inquiry has been used not to identify positive narratives so much as to surface potential dissonance and develop empathy and deeper insight conducive to systemic change. It concludes with a discussion of factors that might help organisations use appreciative inquiry where dissonance is likely to exist and a tentative labelling of this approach as “open appreciative enquiry” with an emphasis on the “e”.

Publication Date

2025-07-14

Publication Title

Teaching Public Administration

Volume

43

Issue

Special Issue 2

ISSN

0144-7394

Acceptance Date

2024-12-05

Deposit Date

2025-07-15

Funding

This work was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Plymouth Health Determinants Research Collaboration [grant number 151310] with support from the NIHR Applied Research Collaboration – South West Peninsula (PenARC) [grant number 200167]. The views expressed are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care.

Keywords

Appreciative inquiry, human learning systems, embedded research, participatory action research, health determinants, local government, learning partnership, complex systems, whole system approaches, public health, participatory action research, embedded research, complex systems, learning partnership, local government, whole system approaches, human learning systems, health determinants, Appreciative inquiry, public health

First Page

214

Last Page

229

Download

Additional Files

dorr-et-al-2025-appreciating-dissonance-using-open-appreciative-inquiry-as-a-tool-to-generate-cultural-change.pdf (805 kB)

Share

COinS