TY - CHAP AB - Abstract A common concern raised in opposition to Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is that a focus on life-giving images in organizations tends to suppress negative voices. It is supposed that AI sees little value in skeptical, cynical, or negative perspectives. However, when AI is properly understood, all voices – both positive and negative – are seen as essential to the life of organization. The challenge is to create an atmosphere in which the cynical voice, rather than perpetuating dysfunction, can be tapped to build generativity. This chapter describes how to accomplish this objective through the use of analogic inquiry, thus exploring the focus on generativity that is central to AI. VL - 4 SN - 978-1-78190-330-8, 9781848554887/1475-9152 DO - 10.1108/S1475-9152(2013)0000004005 UR - https://doi.org/10.1108/S1475-9152(2013)0000004005 AU - Bright David S. AU - Powley Edward H. AU - Fry Ronald E. AU - Barrett Frank PY - 2013 Y1 - 2013/01/01 TI - The Generative Potential of Cynical Conversations T2 - Organizational Generativity: The Appreciative Inquiry Summit and a Scholarship of Transformation T3 - Advances in Appreciative Inquiry PB - Emerald Group Publishing Limited SP - 135 EP - 157 Y2 - 2024/03/29 ER -