Improving worker morale through the use
of appreciative inquiry
Mark Bechtold
Mark Bechtold is an HR/OD
Consultant at Aramco, Ras
Tanura, Saudi Arabia.
The author would like to thank
the editor and reviewer for their
constructive comments. An
earlier version of the paper was
presented at the 10th Arabian
Society for Human Resource
Management (ASHRM)
International Conference held
in Bahrain from March 29-31,
2010 and it won the Best
Industry Paper award.
DOI 10.1108/00197851111098135
Abstract
Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine appreciative inquiry (AI) as an organizational
development approach that aligns with Arab cultural factors to address the issue of employee morale in
an Arab-led organization.
Design/methodology/approach – A brief literature review establishes AI’s foundational theories and
links with Arab cultural factors. An overview of the AI 4D model is then followed by critiques of the AI
approach. The paper presents an application of AI to address the issue of low employee morale in a
large oil refinery.
Findings – A literature review of AI and Arab cultural factors and initial findings of an AI application in a
Middle Eastern Arab-led organization indicates an increase in employee satisfaction and initially
confirms a complementary link of the AI approach to Arab cultural factors.
Research limitations/implications – Critiques of AI center on appropriateness, repression of negative
images, and unexpressed resentment. Despite critiques, a lack of dialogic discourse, and support from
scientific research for this relatively new approach, AI presents a promising alternative to traditional
problem solving and its inherent, often negative effects.
Practical implications – The sharing of stories as part of the AI approach served to bond employees to
each other and served to instill a shared sense of ownership for the past and future success of the
organization. The use of AI builds on the cultural attributes of Arab culture including high collectivism,
strong family and relationship orientation, high context and narrative communication, low risk tolerance,
prevalence of positive intentions, and homogeneity of the Islamic society.
Originality/value – This paper provides insight and support for using AI as an organizational
development approach that complements existing Arab cultural factors for practicality and benefit.
Keywords Motivation (psychology), Organizational culture, Leadership, Employees, Morale,
Middle East
Paper type Research paper
mproving and maintaining employee morale is a challenge for many organizations.
I Appreciative inquiry (AI) is an alternative approach to problem solving, positioned
within a social constructionist framework that builds on positive affirmation of
organizational strengths to address workplace issues (Cooperrider et al., 2003). This paper
links the AI approach with Arab cultural factors that support its use in Middle Eastern, Arab
organizations. A brief literature review establishes the theoretical basis of AI, and the 4D
model of AI is presented. Critiques to the AI approach are shared, followed by a brief review
of an AI application in a large oil refinery.
Arab cultural factors and AI
A compelling reason for the use of AI in Arab organizations lies in its natural link with inherent
Arab cultural factors, as illustrated in Table I.
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Table I Links between Arab cultural factors and AI
Arab cultural factors Links to AI

Shoura, community participation in ongoing dialogue for the
common good of all
Homogeneity of Islamic culture
Narrative, high-context communication
High collectivism, in which tribal and familial affiliations subordinate AI is based on an affirming, interactive, and collaborative approach
the individual orientation
Preference for certainty over uncertainty
Emphasis on relationships over tasks
Tendency to focus on results and intentions, as well as social
equality and justice, leading to a work climate open to the
advancement of organizational improvement and participant
involvement
AI is based on an affirming, interactive, and collaborative approach
among organizational members
This cultural factor effectively influences attitudes and values within
families and the society, and can have a mobilizing affect on AI
approaches to organizational development
AI is based on the sharing of stories to discover the best of what is,
and what could be, among members of an organization
among organizational members
Gender roles are clear, assertiveness and ambition are valued, and
the virtues of aiding others, modesty, and solidarity are espoused
The Arab leader seeks to build and maintain multiple, effective
relationships, concurrently and over time, that naturally serve to
support consensus building and cooperation among followers
The AI approach is created through involvement of organization
members

Sources: Adapted from Ajarimah (2001); Al-Twaijri et al. (1994); Chhokar et al. (2007); Cooperrider et al. (2003); Hall and Hall (1990);
Kabasakal and Bodur (2002)

AI foundational theories
AI is rooted in social constructionist theory. In postmodern management theory,
organizations are viewed as social constructions, continuously being created by the
conversations that take place between people, which in turn affect the relationships,
identities, and emotions of organizational members (Barge and Oliver, 2003). Affirming
inquiry of past practices combined with the positive intentions of a shared future creates the
momentum and energy to achieve desired changes.
AI is also rooted in positive psychology theory. Research on the inner dialogue of individuals
suggests that those who are considered psychologically and socially functional
demonstrate a higher frequency of positive images than negative images, and that such
underlying images heavily influence the fate of cultures and civilizations (Cooperrider et al.,
2000). AI is also based on the concept of the Pygmalion effect, which suggests that much of
what we experience is what we expect.

The 4D model of AI
The 4D model of AI (Cooperrider et al., 2003) has been used on numerous occasions in
different organizations, and includes four phases of the AI approach: Discovery, Dream,
Design, and Delivery, detailed in Table II along with specific links to Arab culture.
The use of AI has been documented in a variety of applications and can be used to develop
leadership potential, to facilitate change, and to support personal growth.

Critiques of AI
Critiques of AI center on appropriateness, repression of negative images, and unexpressed
resentment. Golembiewski (1999) suggests that other alternatives may be equally effective,
that groups may reach agreement for fear of rejection and exclusion, and that groups may
find utility in voicing neutral or negative points. Another criticism is the lack of scientific
evidence of the benefits of AI. AI may also ignore the neutral and negative dialogic discourse
necessary for sustainable organizational development. Grant and Humphries (2006) found
that, in the 4D AI cycle, the desired affirmative dialogue did not always result; that the ways in

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Table II The 4D model of AI and Arab cultural links
The 4Ds Descriptor Arab cultural link

Discovery Appreciating: ‘‘What is the best of what is and
has been?’’ Participants share stories of times in
the organization’s history when relationships,
processes, methods, and other characteristics
were most effective.
Dream Envisioning results: ‘‘What might be?’’
Participants build on the discovery phase and,
through a generative process, uncover the
potential of the optimal future
Design Co-constructing: ‘‘What should be? The ideal.’’
Participants develop the structure and
processes necessary to support the actualization
of the compelling possibilities
Destiny Sustaining: ‘‘How to empower, learn, and
adjust/improvise?’’ Participants determine action
items with specific methods, programs,
initiatives, and processes for acting on
commitments
Storytelling is a preferred tradition of
communication in the high-context and
collectivist Arabic culture.
In the Islamic tradition, an important part of
leadership is the concept of shoura, in which all
members of a community participate in ongoing
dialogue for the common good of all
Organizational members build on the Arab
cultural factors of high collectivism, preference
for certainty, and a focus on relationships based
on positive intentions and goodwill to engage
energetically in the re-creation of the
organization’s potential future
The holy Quran compels the faithful to work
together harmoniously through individual
responsibility toward shared accountability, and
the term itqan is used to clarify this responsibility
as the striving for perfection and high quality in all
actions

Sources: Adapted from Ajarimah (2001); Cooperrider et al. (2003)

which questions were posed influenced participants’ perceptions; and that, in dialogue and
in discourse, what was left unsaid was often as important as what was said.
Within the Arab culture, social formalities honor status, seniority, and position over
performance, merit, and ability, potentially limiting challenges to the status quo and to the
valuing of achievements and competence. These challenges suggest the need for
sensitivity when applying AI to deal with issues in organizations, and effective facilitation of
the process to ensure transparency and validation of concerns while maintaining the focus
on affirmation, appreciation, and inquiry towards the attainment of organizational
improvement.

The ‘‘Red Team’’ AI intervention

On June 20, 2009, a group of young engineers known as the Red Team at a large oil refinery
in the Middle East was tasked by the general manager (GM) to re-image the organization.
When asked to explain, the GM told the group that he wanted the refinery to be the best
place in the company to work, and said that he would measure success by the ‘‘level of
happiness’’ of the 1,600 workers, believing that this would lead to a safer, more productive
worker force. Initially, the Red Team began identifying issues and possible
recommendations for improving employee morale. But then the team decided to apply
the AI approach to solicit input on the inherent strengths and possibilities for the future from
the employees themselves, and in so doing, generate the necessary commitment to future
changes.

‘‘ Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is an alternative approach to problem

solving, positioned within a social constructionist framework
that builds on positive affirmation of organizational strengths
to address workplace issues. ’’

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 ‘‘ When individuals change their inner and explicit dialogues to
focus primarily on affirmation and support, they change their
stories and their organizations for the better. ’’

The Red Team developed a plan based on two concepts: First, the refinery needed a simple
theme around which people could connect emotionally. Second, it needed an approach for
improving morale, motivation, and happiness that would gain immediate support and
momentum. Similar to Martin Luther King, Jr’s ‘‘I have a dream’’ vision, the Red Team
decided that the theme would hinge on one simple word: Smile. The GM had planted this
seed, and the team had posters and buttons made up with Smile integrated into the
refinery’s logo. The approach involved the application of AI in a series of workshops with 100
employees from each of the refinery work units and organizational levels.
Using the AI 4D model, employees shared stories of their best experiences at the refinery.
Shared story telling served to create an affirming, energized atmosphere. The participants
then shared ideas of what the ideal future could be, and several provocative propositions
emerged: Seeing the managers more often in the plant, strengthening worker-supervisor
relationships, improving the cafeteria menu, providing shade canopies over employee
parking areas, and holding quarterly employee-family appreciation events. Volunteers were
then asked to champion each of these initiatives for follow-up action.
By using AI to improve employee morale, the Red Team helped to create an environment of
positive affirmation, sharing, and open communication. As a result, employees are
experiencing a stronger sense of belonging and commitment to a better future for the
refinery, as evidenced by participant feedback and an increased number of
employee-generated ideas for improving the workplace. Perhaps the greatest benefit of
the AI approach is the goodwill and commitment that results from the positive affirmation of
what gives life to an organization. This attitude continues to spread throughout the
organization, as the AI approach becomes further embedded.
The results of the Red Team intervention using the AI approach strengthened the core
organizing competencies at the refinery, as described in Table III.

Implications for practice

AI is an organizational development approach for addressing organizational issues based
on the theoretical frameworks of social constructivism, positive psychology, and narrative
communication. AI provides an alternative to the traditional problem-solving approach for
dealing with social issues in organizations, and can be effective in Middle Eastern, Arab
organizations because of the link between AI and Arab cultural factors that naturally

Table III Competencies of appreciative organizing

Competency Description

Affirmative The recognition and the valuing of organizational members’ attributes,

strengths and achievements as the source of organizational vitality
Expansive Challenge the status quo to create change and growth
Generative Recognize and value the meaningful contributions, progress and
results of the initiative
Collaborative Value diversity of viewpoints and perspectives while working together
to implement actions and achieve results

Sources: The 4D model of AI (Cooperrider et al., 2003) linked to Arab cultural factors (Ajarimah,
2001)

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‘‘ AI can be applied to develop plans and commitment in which
organizational members collectively define the best of what is
and has been to create provocative possibilities and plans for
the future. ’’

privilege the AI approach. These factors include the community of participation resulting
from a homogeneous Islamic culture; a highly collective society; a strong family-based
orientation; prevalent use of high-context, narrative communication; and a strong emphasis
on the importance of relationships.
AI can be applied to develop plans and commitment in which organizational members
collectively define the best of what is and has been to create provocative possibilities and
plans for the future. The process builds positive affirmation and alignment for commitment. A
review of an AI application in a Middle Eastern oil refinery indicates an increase in employee
satisfaction and initially confirms a solid link of the AI approach to Arab cultural factors.
As an approach for training and development, AI provides the platform from which to drive
competency development through the recognition of an individual’s strengths, and building
on these strengths to mitigate deficiencies, recognizing that sustainable performance
improvement depends upon the enactment of critical strengths, and that other team
members’ strengths complement individual deficiencies.
In the field of leadership coaching and development, an AI approach positions the
conversation towards the clarification of what is working well, the identification of future
aspirations, the reflection on success factors for a particular leader, and the repositioning of
leadership behaviors resulting in the enhancement of capabilities in support of the desired
future.

Concluding remarks
Despite critiques, a lack of dialogic discourse, and support from scientific research for this
relatively new approach, AI presents a promising alternative to traditional problem solving
and its inherent, often negative effects. Further, AI’s foundational approach links well with
Arab cultural factors. When individuals change their inner and explicit dialogues to focus
primarily on affirmation and support, they change their stories and their organizations for the
better (Cooperrider et al., 2000).

References
Ajarimah, A.A. (2001), ‘‘Major challenges of global leadership in the twenty-first century’’, Human
Resource Development International, Vol. 4 No. 1, pp. 9-19.

Al-Twaijri, M.I., Al-Dukhayyil, A.A. and Al-Muhaiza, I.A. (1994), ‘‘Saudi Arabian and US supervisors as
perceived by their subordinates: an intercultural comparative field study’’, International Journal of
Commerce and Management, Vol. 4 No. 4, pp. 60-70.
Barge, J.K. and Oliver, C. (2003), ‘‘Working with appreciation in managerial practice’’, Academy of
Management Review, Vol. 28 No. 1, pp. 124-42.
Chhokar, J.S., Brodbeck, F.C. and House, R.J. (2007), Culture and Leadership across the World,
Routledge, London.
Cooperrider, D.L., Whitney, D. and Stavros, J.M. (2003), Appreciative Inquiry Handbook, Lakeshore,
Bedford Heights, OH.
Cooperrider, D.L., Sorensen, P.F. Jr, Whitney, D. and Yaeger, T.F. (2000) in Cooperrider, D.L., Sorensen,
P.F. Jr, Whitney, D. and Yaeger, T.F. (Eds), Appreciative Inquiry, Stipes, Champaign, IL.

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 Golembiewski, R.T. (1999), ‘‘Fine-tuning appreciative inquiry: two ways of circumscribing the concept’s
value-added’’, Organizational Development Journal, Vol. 17 No. 3, pp. 21-9.

Grant, G. and Humphries, M. (2006), ‘‘Critical evaluation of appreciative inquiry’’, Action Research, Vol. 4
No. 4, pp. 401-18.

Hall, E.T. and Hall, M.R. (1990), Understanding Cultural Differences, Intercultural Press, Yarmouth, ME.

Kabasakal, H. and Bodur, M. (2002), ‘‘Arabic cluster: a bridge between East and West’’, Journal of World
Business, Vol. 37 No. 1, pp. 40-54.

About the author

Mark Bechtold is an HR/OD consultant currently working with Saudi Aramco’s six refining
and gas plants in Saudi Arabia. He is currently completing his PhD in Human and
Organization Development at the Fielding Graduate University. Mark Bechtold can be
contacted at bechcons@localnet.com

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