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: bert.verleysen@stebo.be

With thanks to Jitka Meyer, my fellow-student for her adviceon this presentation, her feedback on my paper and her support today.