About the Inquiry Communities
An inquiry community is a group of people who come together around a topic relating to business as an agent of world benefit. Often inquiry community members learn together by conducting appreciative "world inquiry" interviews with leaders whose businesses generate healthy revenue while benefiting the world in a tangible way. The stories gathered by these interviews increase awareness of the potential for business to transform society for the better. Inquiry communities can be as small and informal as 3 or more people who want to meet every few months to discuss and take part in a worldwide learning effort and as large as 50,000 people who convene in conferences and through online technology.
What kinds of inquiry communities are there?
Thus far, Inquiry Communities have consisted of two types of groups with different reasons for organizing.
1. One form of Inquiry Community comes together to focus on social change. An example is B·A·W·B Brazil:
- B·A·W·B Brazil began in 2003. Centered in Curatiba, Brazil, B·A·W·B Brazil focuses on social awareness and poverty reduction through inquiry and action. Its members use the "world inquiry" interviews to engage in action research that inspires, guides, and teaches its members and organizations in Brazil how to better achieve sustainable business practices that positively impact its citizens and the world.
The B·A·W·B Brazil Inquiry Community is led by CEO Rodrigo Loures, who uses it as a way of reinventing the value of his organization for the people of Brazil. He creates social momentum by holding large conferences in which representatives of innovative businesses share their stories with citizens who wish to get involved in eliminating poverty in the Brazilian State of Parana.
2. The other form of Inquiry Community comes together with a shared action learning agenda. An example is the MPOD Inquiry Community:
- MPOD inquiry community members are students in the Master of Science in Positive Organization Development program at Case Western Reserve University. Their educational experiences are centered on the growing fields of Positive Organization Science and Transformative Change Leadership. These strength-based approaches to leadership development and systems change provide the bases for their experiential learning. Students are part of an online community which supports their learning environment so that they can learn together while working in various locations.
As part of the program, MPOD inquiry community members conduct world inquiry interviews both domestically and abroad. These inquiry interviews provide data which are used to populate the B·A·W·B Innovation Bank.
Both forms of Inquiry Community have flourished thus far. We imagine many more forms of Inquiry Communities will emerge in the future and we invite you to use creativity as you help form your own Inquiry Community.
How can I participate?
Anybody interested in exploring how business can be an agent of world benefit can form an Inquiry Community. To learn more about the current Inquiry Communities, click "Social Action Inquiry Communities" or "Academic Inquiry Communities" on the left side of the screen.
The World Inquiry team partners with inquiry communities to clarify methodologies, train and educate, facilitate, and guide those interested in joining our work. For questions about these inquiry communities or to learn more about how to form an inquiry community contact Inquiry Community Manager, Bauback Yeganeh at
bauback@case.edu.
There are innovations in every single company, small or large, and no story is too small to energize, motivate, and inspire someone around the world in a positive way. Inquiry Communities use their momentum to uplift the best in business in their community and work using world inquiry interviews. To get involved, contact Inquiry Community Manager, Bauback Yeganeh at
bauback@case.edu. To download "Inquiry Communities: A Practical Guide",
click here.
