ABSTRACT. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) was developed initially as a tool for organisational change and signalled an innovative shift in organisational studies. Instead of focusing on identifying weaknesses and problems, AI explores opportunities for change based on strengths present in an organisation. To encourage organisations to do more of what works, people are asked ‘generative questions’ to elicit reflection on their most positive experiences and generate an image of their organisation at its best. They are then encouraged to envision what might be, talk about what should be, and then innovate to create what should be as a way to engage with human potential. While used to bring about organisational change, this method also challenges the often problem-based approach to research. This article introduces AI and considers its potential as an ‘educational kindness,’ providing illustrative examples of generative questions from cross-cultural and family business research.

Keywords: appreciative inquiry; generative questions; kindness; kaupapa Māori; tangata tiriti

How to cite: Woods, C., & Lythberg, B. (2024). ‘The questions we ask are fateful’: Connecting and communicating through appreciative inquiry and kind research. Knowledge Cultures, 12(1), 270-284. https://doi.org/10.22381/kc121202415

Received 12 November 2021 • Received in revised form 16 November 2021
Accepted 1 August 2022 • Available online 01 April 2024