Appreciative inquiry: A field experiment focusing on turnover in the fast food industry

Most studies or publications of Appreciative Inquiry (Cooperrider & Srivastva, 1987) focus on the process itself Although the emphasis on this process has benefits, relatively little attention from academicians or practitioners has been addressed to Appreciative Inquiry use in a specific business setting tracking quantifiable results. In this study, a field experiment utilizing Appreciative Inquiry was conducted in 94 fast-food restaurants of a Fortune 500 restaurant chain in a major metropolitan area. The purpose of this study was to determine if Appreciative Inquiry could be a useful intervention in enhancing salaried management restaurant level retention. Findings of the study are significantly favorable. The Appreciative Inquiry test group had 30–32 percent higher retention rate than the two control groups. Subjects in the Appreciative Inquiry test group expressed a decreased “Inclination to leave” as evidenced by the higher retention rate along with an enhanced appreciation of working in the much-maligned restaurant industry. This suggests further field studies are warranted using the Appreciative Inquiry methodology in order to expand its use from both an academic and practitioner-oriented perspective.