Forandring i organisationer: Den traditionelle tilgang og Appreciative Inquiry
Oversat titel
Change in Organizations: The Traditional Approach and Appreciative Inquiry
Forfatter
Hansen, Anders Peder Lysholm
Semester
4. semester
Udgivelsesår
2009
Resumé
Denne kandidatafhandling undersøger organisationsforandring ved at sammenligne den traditionelle, trinvise og rationelle tilgang (Lewin, Schein, Kotter) med Appreciative Inquiry/anerkendende ledelse. Formålet er at belyse de metateoretiske antagelser bag tilgangene og diskutere fordele og problemer ved Appreciative Inquiry. Analysen bygger på en litteraturgennemgang kombineret med tre kvalitative, semistrukturerede interviews med praktikere i Appreciative Inquiry. Med afsæt i et socialkonstruktionistisk videnskabssyn (bl.a. Berger & Luckmann, Schutz, Merleau-Ponty, Gergen, Gadamer) vises, at den traditionelle tilgang antager stabile organisationer, objektiv viden og en drivende forandringsagent, mens Appreciative Inquiry betoner relationel viden, kontinuerlig, ikke-lineær forandring og en faciliterende rolle. Diskussionen fremhæver, at et problemfokus kan skabe en mangel-diskurs, mens positive billeder kan fremme udvikling, men at forskellighed bør næres frem for undertrykkes. Afhandlingen argumenterer samtidig for, at magt fortsat er virksom i forandringsprocesser, og at organisationer rummer flere konkurrerende paradigmer, som gør en fælles, styrende vision vanskelig—uanset om den formuleres traditionelt eller via Appreciative Inquiry. Herved nuanceres både styrker og begrænsninger ved Appreciative Inquiry i forhold til den traditionelle tilgang.
This master’s thesis examines organizational change by comparing the traditional, stepwise and rational approach (Lewin, Schein, Kotter) with Appreciative Inquiry/Appreciative Leadership. The aim is to surface the meta-theoretical assumptions underpinning each and to discuss the benefits and problems associated with Appreciative Inquiry. The analysis combines a literature review with three qualitative, semi-structured interviews with Appreciative Inquiry practitioners. Grounded in a social constructionist stance (e.g., Berger & Luckmann, Schutz, Merleau-Ponty, Gergen, Gadamer), the study outlines how traditional models presume stable organizations, objective knowledge and a prime-mover change agent, whereas Appreciative Inquiry emphasizes relational knowledge, continuous, non-linear change and a facilitative role. The discussion highlights how a deficit focus can generate problems, while positive images may foster development, yet differences should be nurtured rather than suppressed. The thesis further argues that power relations remain active in change processes and that organizations comprise multiple competing paradigms, which complicates any single, governing vision—whether advanced through traditional models or via Appreciative Inquiry. These insights clarify both the strengths and the limitations of Appreciative Inquiry relative to the traditional approach.
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