Title: The resilience of appreciative inquiry allies: business education sustains the business community

Authors: Drew Wolf; Bruce Hanson

Addresses: Concordia University Irvine, 1530 Concordia West, 92612, California, USA ' Concordia University Irvine, 1530 Concordia West, 92612, California, USA

Abstract: In a time of environmental turbulence characterised by dynamic complexity, business organisations have been challenged by changes in personnel, high levels of turnover and disruptive project driven environments (Eisenhardt and Martin, 2000). Some businesses have responded by successfully developing resilient cultures within their organisations to face challenges and instability (Lengnick-Hall et al., 2011). Resiliency is the ability to endure change and challenges, and the power of individual resiliency presents itself consistently throughout the ravages of history (Everly, 2011). In this case study, business leaders in collaborating communities with business students learn from environments founded on the theoretical framework of appreciative inquiry that focus on the endurance rather than the descent. This can also serve as a bridge between the business student's experience and the understanding of the management framework of human resources in an organisation.

Keywords: organisational resilience; appreciative inquiry; collaboration; business leader; educational leader; resilient culture; challenges; instability; human resources.

DOI: 10.1504/IJHRDM.2017.085267

International Journal of Human Resources Development and Management, 2017 Vol.17 No.1/2, pp.48 - 56

Received: 17 Mar 2016
Accepted: 12 Aug 2016

Published online: 19 Jul 2017 *

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