AI Practitioner August 2014 72 Volume 16 Number 3 1ISBN 978-1-907549-20-5 More Articles at www.aipractitioner.com A Research Review of SOAR The purpose of this article is to highlight basic and applied research that has taken SOAR beyond its original purpose of strategic thinking and planning applications. We begin with a brief review of SOAR and then highlight eight doctoral disserta- tions that have been conducted to advance the theory and practice of SOAR. The growing empirical studies on SOAR address both the basic and applied dimensions of research. While the purpose of basic research is to acquire knowledge for its own sake, the purpose of applied research is to help people more efectively con- trol the environment (Patton, 2002). What is SOAR? SOAR is a “positive approach to strategic thinking and planning that allows an organization to construct its future through collaboration, shared understanding, and a commitment to action” (Stavros and Hinrichs, 2009, p. 3). SOAR stands for strengths, opportunities, aspirations and results. The SOAR framework pro- vides a lexible approach to strategic thinking, planning and leading that invites the whole system into a strategic planning or strategy process by including all those with a stake in the success of the organization’s future. These stakeholders can be internal (i.e. employees) or external (i.e. customers, suppliers and communities). Utilizing a whole-system perspective provides a more complete picture of how an organization best serves its customers and what its future can become by consid- ering many diferent stakeholders’ perspectives. SOAR begins with a strategic inquiry using an appreciative intent through a dis- cussion regarding the strengths and opportunities available to the organization. SOAR reframes weaknesses and threats that arise during the strategic dialogue, The purpose of this article is to highlight basic and applied research on SOAR that has taken SOAR beyond its original purpose of strategic thinking and planning applications. The eight empirical studies address, among other topics, how SOAR has been used: to build trust to increase supplier and customer performance; to build strategic capacity; in executive coaching; to build organizational collective motivation. These empirical studies exemplify researching the theory and practical eicacy of SOAR. AI Practitioner August 14 AI Research Notes dx.doi.org/10.12781/978-1-907549-20-5-12 Appreciative Inquiry Research Review & Notes Jacqueline M. Stavros, DM is professor of Management and DBA program director, College of Management at Lawrence Technological University. She has co-authored many books, book chapters and articles, and consulted and presented on a global basis on AI and SOAR. She co-authored: Thin Book of SOAR: Building Strengths- based Strategy. Contact: jstavros@ltu.edu Matthew L. Cole, Ph.D. is assistant professor of Management at Lawrence Technological University in Southield, MI. He earned a doctorate in cognitive and social psychology from Wayne State University. His research focuses on business statistics, research methods, organization development, AI, SOAR and the science of teams and team work. Contact: mcole@ltu.edu Jennifer Hitchcock, DBA is the executive director for Research and Technology Integration for the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research and Development Center. A DBA candidate at Lawrence Technological University, her research interests include organization development and organizational behavior, speciically focusing on organizational collective motivation. Contact: garyjen1@comcast.net