ProHealth or HealthCore: Teaching Students About Reality Creation in Organizational Life

Abstract

This exercise introduces students to reality creation processes in organizational life (e.g., self-fulfilling prophecy, Pygmalion effects, etc.) as a theoretical perspective that must be understood to design transformational organizational change. By comparing the differential effects of conventional and appreciative questions, the experience also exposes students to their biases of reality creation. It illustrates how questions can be used to invite a shift from a conventional to an appreciative or positive narrative of reality. Students may also explore how inquiry may be used to inspire change in organizations.

Keywords

reality creation Pygmalion effects self-fulfilling prophecy appreciative inquiry positive mind-set positive organization development

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