Appreciative Inquiry and Creative Problem Solving in Cross-Functional Teams

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine if time-limited cross-functional teams socially constructed a perception of efficacy and cohesiveness through inquiry into best practices and peak experiences relative to teams focused on organizational problems and gap analysis. In a short-duration, alternative treatment, quantitative, quasi-experiment, six cross-functional teams, each with 6 participants, completed an ambiguous human-relationship-oriented task. Three teams employed appreciative inquiry (AI), and three teams employed creative problem solving (CPS). The findings supported the efficacy of AI. Aggregated results of individuals in teams employing AI reported higher levels of midtask group identification and posttask group potency than teams employing CPS. In this study, inquiry had an immediate effect on team member affective responses.