Social network analytics enhance adoption of change

March 3, 2011

A work process team within P&G needed their employees to adopt a new work process throughout a multinational and multifunctional organization. We identified a core group of ambassadors who are optimally positioned in their organizational social network to spearhead a change movement.

Transforming an established, time-tested business practice to a new, cost-saving alternative is a daunting task for any organization. With approximately 3,000 employees in 5 functional units all over the world, P&G's packaging team needed a movement to change one of their work processes. As in most organizations, employees typically resist change. This resistance can be contagious; those who ignore the change may influence others to do the same. Ultimately, the success of a movement hinges on training the right team of people to lead the charge.

Datascope Analytics, in collaboration with Syndio Social, conducted a social network survey that measured the network of influence within P&G's packaging team. Using the influence network, cutting edge models of social contagion, and novel optimization techniques, Datascope Analytics identified the thought leaders and change agents who are simultaneously well-respected by their peers and optimally positioned in the influence network to foster a movement. The result was a team of ambassadors who will spearhead change in the organization.

A LivingReport™ reveals the influence network in P&G. The LivingReport's interactivity enables managers to drill down and quickly find key insights of our analysis.

To communicate project results, Datascope Analytics developed a custom LivingReportTM that allows managers at P&G to run "what if" scenarios: build hypothetical ambassador teams, and evaluate the ability of those teams to spearhead change. As an additional benefit, the report enables managers at P&G to explore the connectivity between their functional and geographical units, dynamically overlay employee attributes over the underlying social network, and identify rising star employees.

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Dean
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