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AbstractAppreciative Inquiry (AI) has gained growing popularity as an approach to organizational development. Questions still remain about what turns AI into an effective method. This paper reports a quantitative study that investigates the relation between key aspects of AI, namely connectedness and appreciation, and work engagement. It is conjectured that, through fulfilling basic psychological needs, AI key aspects nurture intrinsic motivation, hereby impacting on work engagement. Work engagement is characterized by higher levels of energy and involvement in work, is related to vigor, dedication and absorption, and is determined by job and personal resources. When personal resources are available, employees feel resilient and have a successful coping style to impact their environment. Work engagement is nurtured through intrinsic motivation rather than through controlled motivation, leading to more commitment and well-being. Intrinsic motivation increases when the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence and relatedness are satisfied. A supportive work climate, characterized by autonomy, non-controlling feedback and acknowledgment of employee perspective, creates an environment where basic psychological needs can be satisfied. We believe these requirements are met in AI’s self organizing approach. An AI intervention creates connectedness and appreciation for the good, develops a shared confidence in cooperative capacity and competence, leads people to self-organizing structures, calls and energizes people to take initiative and co-create what they feel as the best thing for the organisation. In sum, we believe that AI leads to an organizational culture that nurtures the basic psychological needs, hereby increasing employee motivation and work engagement. Based on the responses of employees working in organizations whether or not characterized by systematic AI-practices, we explore if a higher level of self-reported connectedness and appreciation improves the level of work engagement, and if there is a mediating effect of intrinsic motivation and basic psychological needs on this relation between AI and work engagement. Results of the research will be presented. More quantitative research on the effect of AI on employees can contribute to understanding AI and increasing its success in organizational development and change.
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The Impact of Appreciative Inquiry
on Employees’ Work Engagement
Explained through
Basic Psychological Needs
and
Motivation
Bert Verleysen - BSc
Stebo
Student OU Nederland
Dr Frederik Van AckerFaculty of Psychology
Open Universiteit Nederland
• high quality partnerships• engaged employees and• their well-being
This connection was the inspiration for my research topic.
• development of FIREWORKS• bringing APPRECIATIVE INQUIRY into the organisation
Background …My former (work) experience
sustainable business should invest in:
Working at STEBO
Research Topic
What is changing in
the underlying psychological states
of employees
when their organization
deploys AI-strategies?
Aim:
• What is the impact of AI on an employee?
• Can AI enhance employees’ well-being?
Not AI-Research, but an INQUIRY on AI
Appreciative Inquiry
• An actionresearch method forflourishing organisations
• Research on macro-level
This Survey
• An inquiry into psychologicalcharacteristics of employees
• Research on micro-level
Foto: Heidi Gelders
Foto: Heidi Gelders
Appreciative Inquiry
• Connecting&
• Appreciation
resulting in
• activation of energyDiagram: Ron Fry
Cooperrider, D. L., & Godwin, L. (2011). Positive Organization Development: Innovation-Inspired Change in an Economy and Ecology of Strengths. In K. Cameron & G. Spreitzer (Eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Positive Organizational Scholarship (pp. 737 - 750). New York: Oxford University Press.
• engaging in high quality relations (Dutton & Heaphy, 2003).
• is building a ‘collaborative dialogue and choice to achieve consent’ (Bushe, 2012, p. 88).
= building high quality relations with all the stakeholders through a mutual sharing of strengths and dreams to co-create (a shared vision on) the future organisation.
Connecting (AIcon)
• can be understood as appreciative intelligence(Thatchenkary & Metzker in Bushe, 2007).
• refers to ‘tracking’ & ‘fanning’ (Bushe, 2001).
= the inquiry and the openness for life-giving possibilities in persons and systems, tracking them and fanning them as a growing potential in the organization
Appreciation (AIapp)
Appreciative Inquiry
Activation of energy …
or …
Can an AI-approach
result in more
work engagement?
Work Engagement
• Vigor
• Dedication
• Absorption
Bakker, A. B., Schaufeli, W. B., Leiter, M. P., & Taris, T. W. (2008). Work Engagement: An Emerging Concept in Occupational Health Psychology. Work & Stress, 22(3), 187-200.
But … when does someone engage in work?
Job Demands-Resources model
� reduce job demands and the associated physiological and psychological costs
� are functional in achieving work goals
� stimulate personal growth, learning and development
RESOURCES
DEMANDS
Schaufeli, W. B., & Bakker, A. B. (2004). Job Demands, Job Resources, and Their Relationship with Burnout and Engagement: A Multi-Sample Study. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 25, 293-315.
things that have to be done
Foto: Heidi Gelders
External: job resources
� social support
�performance feedback
�autonomy
Internal: personal resources
� self-efficacy: Yes, I can!
�organizational based self-esteem: I’m important because of “my” company!
�optimism: My future is hopeful!
Xanthopoulou, D., Bakker, A. B., Demerouti, E., & Schaufeli, W. B. (2007). The Role of Personal Resources in the Job Demands-Resources Model. International Journal of Stress Management, 14(2), 121-141
Resources ~ Work engagement
http://www.economist.com/node/12863565
Hypothesis 1
Employees reportingmore AI-practices
(i.e. connecting & appreciation) report a higher level of work engagement.
AIcon
AIapp
Work Engagement
Hypothesis 1
AIcon
AIapp
Work Engagement
What is happening in this relation?
Bakker, A. B., & Demerouti, E. (2008). Towards a Model of Work Engagement. Career Development International, 13(3), 209-223.
(1) motivation
AI-practices �Work Engagement
�about activation & intention
�energizes & invigorates people
�amotivation �� intrinsic motivationhttp://www.coachwithjeremy.com/blog/motiva
tion/tips-to-help-stay-motivated
Intrinsic Motivation
Work Engagement
challenges – feedback
communication
Social & Contextual Factors
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-Determination Theory and the Facilitating of Intrinsic Motivation, Social Development, and Well-Being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68-78.
employees consider the work personally as
valuable & interesting!http://www.ideasandtraining.com/Motivation-Training.html
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/AmZcISao2BivxNSzWMY6rA
Hypothesis 2
The relation betweenAI-practices
and work engagement is mediated
by intrinsic motivation.
http://www.diversito.be/nl/
Van den Broeck, A., Vansteenkiste, M., De Witte, H., Soenens, B., & Lens, W. (2010). Capturing Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness at Work: Construction and Initial Validation of the Work-Related Basic Need Satisfaction Scale. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83(4), 981-1002.
(1) motivation
AI-practices � work engagement
(2) fulfilment of basic psychological needs
~ Sunshine � makes plants to bloom
~ BPN � energizes people to flourish
Foto: Heidi Gelders
Basic Psychological Needs
Van den Broeck, A., Vansteenkiste, M., De Witte, H., Soenens, B., & Lens, W. (2010). Capturing Autonomy, Competence, and Relatedness at Work: Construction and Initial Validation of the Work-Related Basic Need Satisfaction Scale. Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, 83(4), 981-1002.
Autonomy
• a feeling of volitional & choice
a real psychological freedom
Relatedness
• a feeling of being connected with others, belonging to a group
to love and care and to be loved en cared for
Competence
• a feeling of being effective in interacting with the environment
environment with challenges to test and extend skills
http://www.referenceforbusiness.com/small/Di-Eq/Employee-Motivation.html
Hypothesis 3
The relation between AI-practices and work engagement is mediated by the satisfaction of the need for autonomy (3.1)the need for competence (3.2)the need for relatedness (3.3).
Research Model
Relatedness
Aicon
AIapp
Competence
Autonomy
Intrinsic Motivation
Work Engagement
What is changing in the underlying psychological
states of employees when their organization deploys
AI-strategies?
Hypothesis 1
Hypothesis 2
Hypothesis 3
Research MethodParticipants (N = 132):Employees in Flanders & the Netherlands
• Gender: 36,2% men; 63,8% women
• Age: M = 41.0 (SD = 10.54)
• Tenure: M = 9.01 (SD = 8.60)
• Weekly working hours: M = 34.9 (SD = 8.01)
Measures (online questionnaire):AI-practices: Connecting & Appreciation at Work Scale (CAWs)
Work Engagement: UWES-9
Intrinsic Motivation: MAWs
Basic Psychological Needs: BPNS
Analyses:The method for estimating indirect effects in multiple mediation.
Preacher, K. J., & Hayes, A. F. (2004). Spss and Sas Procedures for Estimating Indirect Effects in Simple Mediation Models. Behavior Research Methods, Instruments, & Computers, 36(4), 717-731.
Results
In total 62.22% of the variance in work engagement was explained by the variables in the model (F(6, 125) = 34.31, p < .001).
Conclusion• Hypothesis 1
The relation AIcon & AIapp
and Work Engagement is significant.
• Hypothesis 2
Intrinsic motivation is mediating in the relation of AIcon and AIapp with work engagement.
• Hypothesis 3
Only autonomy is mediating in the relation of AIapp with work engagement.
work engagement
intrinsic motivation
needs (autonomy)
employees’ well-being
Bushe, G. R. (2012). Appreciative Inquiry: Theory and Critique. In D. Boje, B. Burnes & J. Hassard (Eds.), The RoutledgeCompanion to Organizational Change (pp. 87-103). Oxford, UK: Routledge.
My future research agenda …
Measuring connecting & appreciation, evaluating AI
• How can we measure AI in an AI-way?
• How can we refine the Connecting & Appreciation at Work scale?
• …
And inspired by the work of Gervase Bushe
• When is AI the most appropriate change process?
• What contingencies are important to consider when planning an AI?
• What organizational/personal factors most influence the success or failure of AI?
How would it be, when we could cooperate on this research in the AI-community?Please, be invited to join!
question time
With many thanks to
The participants to take part in thissurvey
Stebo in supporting me on my research
Dr Frederik Van Acker for his support, tips and tricks for this paper
All of you, for your interest in myresearch
Contact:e-mail: [email protected]
With thanks to Jitka Meyer, my fellow-student for her adviceon this presentation, her feedback on my paper and her support today.
