Edward Elgar Publishing Handbook of Research and Evaluation Methods in Appreciative Inquiry: Business, Education, Health Care, and Community Development

This comprehensive Handbook details the evolution and transformation of Appreciative Inquiry since David Cooperrider first applied it to make sense of organisational change in 1985. Contributing authors capture the latest thinking in Appreciative Inquiry research and evaluation to provide a comprehensive resource that will inform the future of this research method across disciplines and contexts. In providing researchers and evaluators with an interdisciplinary toolkit to approach positive research and evaluation, the authors resolve some key questions. What makes Appreciative Inquiry different from a deficit-based organisational design? What methods are most applicable to Appreciative Inquiry research and evaluation? What new and different approaches are available to scholars and practitioners? What notable accomplishments from other disciplines would align with Appreciate Inquiry research and evaluation objectives? In so doing, it gives insight into the shared desire to transition away from deficit-oriented portrayals of people and communities to a vision that is collaborative and strengths-based. Handbook of Research and Evaluation Methods in Appreciative Inquiry is an important resource for students and scholars of business management, human resource, and healthcare management. Its practical insights are also of benefit to practitioners looking to enact change by asking positive questions.