Ravalier PhD Theis.pdf - Anglia Ruskin Research Online

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4. Destiny – deliver the innovative service. Create and sustain that
which is designed in the previous stage.
However, as previously mentioned one of the main drawbacks to
the use of this original AI design is that there is no evaluative phase
presented, and as such most AI studies have overlooked this crucial
element of any research (e.g. Richer et al., 2010). Therefore the current
thesis presents a conceptual addition to the cycle, namely a fifth 'D'.
5. Deliberate – evaluate the AI process and procedures, in order to
determine the suitability of use in the presented situation.
Finally throughout the thesis a number of ‘Discussion Boxes’ are
presented. These boxes are to act as examples of the specific issue to
which they are related, as well as used to link different themes and
perspectives introduced throughout the thesis. For instance, the first such
box (Discussion Box 1) refers to response theories of stress, and
explains the response theory in terms of divorce, an event widely
understood to place individuals under both chronic as well as acute stress.
2) Originality and New Knowledge
In order for any project to be considered of doctoral level, two
distinct issues need to be addressed: how the study is original, and how
the study adds new knowledge to the field. The current thesis adds
originality and new knowledge in the following ways:
• An extensive search of the literature found that Appreciative Inquiry
techniques have not been utilised when researching stress in the
workplace.
• No AI research study has ever been conducted within the
participating organisation (originality).
• From a review of the literature, it is clear that AI studies which have
conceptualised a final evaluation phase, to be known as ‘Deliberate’
– the fifth ‘D’ (new knowledge), are lacking.
• The current study includes the development of a transferable
process which can be applied across the participating organisation
(originality).