The research was conducted as part of an MBA degree and investigates the extent to which enterprise learning during change influences employee participation in social media program. The author develops 3 broad themes i.e. Affirmation, Analysis and Action after interviewing change agents from 7 companies in the high tech, B2B industry. The research concludes that learning during change has some influence on active participation during social media implementation. The research finds similarities between learning organization characteristics and participatory social media change such as a shared vision, personal mastery, experimentation and the use of cross-functional teams. The author provides recommendations in the form of a new model that could guide organizations to exploit employee participation benefits in enterprise learning during social media implementation.

1. EMPLOYEE PARTICIPATION – THE
INFLUENCE OF ENTERPRISE LEARNING
DURING EVOLUTIONARY CHANGE: A
MIXED METHOD STUDY INTO SOCIAL
MEDIA IMPLEMENTATION
Summary of research results by
Yekemi Bolare Otaru
Henley Business School
University of Reading
U.K.

2. PROJECT OBJECTIVE
 The research question is, ‘to what extent does learning during
evolutionary [behavioural-social] change influence employee
participation in social media implementation?’
 The objectives of the research are:
 To articulate key organizational characteristics that promote enterprise learning and
participation during change
 To investigate the proposed approach to social media change
 To make recommendations for organisations to benefit from employee participation
in social media programs
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3. SCOPE OF PROJECT
Scope of management challenge Explanation Implication
Primarily change agents investigated. Allows focus on one perspective for the Perspectives of change recipients not
change. included.
Focus on link between learning Research limited to learning Other non-learning change management
environments and change approaches organisational characteristics similar to approaches will not be considered.
social media enablers; drawing from
action technology.
Limited to Business-to-Business (B2B) B2B companies are more likely to use Results not generalizable to B2C
companies. expertise of employees to attract companies as they may have different
customers thus significant participation is perspectives, needs and focus.
required.
Excludes investigation on strategy, Limited to manage scope and increase This may discount some factors that
knowledge management, leadership styles, focus on creating and linking a learning- have indirect or direct influence on
business performance, types of based change management model to social media change.
organisational culture and structures. participation.
Limited to behavioural-social change. There is no literature that provides Issues related to technical-structural
detailed investigation into evolutionary changes, which normally have strategic
change during social media bearing in social media are not
implementation. This investigation investigated.
attempts to fill this gap.
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4. OVERVIEW OF SOCIAL MEDIA CHANGE
Research
focused on
evolutionary
change
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5. PROPOSED CHANGE MODEL FROM THEORY
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6. Employee participation – the influence of enterprise learning during
evolutionary change: a mixed method study into social media
implementation
INTERVIEW RESULTS
JUNE 2012
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7. LEARNING ENVIRONMENT (LEARNING
ORGANISATION MODEL)
Number of change
agents who mentioned it
In theoretical model
Not in theoretical model
See Glossary for definitions
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8. SUMMARY OF CONSIDERATIONS
Participant Main considerations Memorable quote
PA-1 Research, action plans, "We've learnt a lot from our early beginnings to
measurement understand how we might apply social media to
marketing practices...”
PA-2 Focus on business objectives, "It's only were you're making a difference to the
feedback, measurement company that you can show that your program is
sustainable in the long term."
PA-3 Senior level support, "Don't take all the responsibility - create a team, a
communication, shared project or change team."
responsibility through teams
PA-4 Executive commitment, start "You need a few pioneers who are passionate about
with early adopters, training social media."
and guidance
PB-5 Support, dedication, "It takes time and dedication to change people's
measurement behaviour."
PB-6 Leadership, culture, "Get leaders to use it - others will follow!"
dedicated skilled resources
PA-7 Executive support, "Develop a really robust measurement plan to
experimentation, support your efforts."
measurement
NOTE: PA represent internal change agents; PB are external change agents
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9. MAIN CONSIDERATIONS DURING
CHANGE (ACTION LEARNING MODEL)
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10. INTERVIEW SUMMARY: BROAD THEMES
Affirmation “Valuing”
“Diagnosing” and “Designing” Analysis
Action
“Implementing & Assessing”
© Yekemi Otaru 2012
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11. Employee participation – the influence of enterprise learning during
evolutionary change: a mixed method study into social media
implementation
SURVEY RESULTS
JULY-AUGUST 2012
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12. OVERVIEW OF SURVEY
 23 questions asked
 3 constructs (Affirmation, Analysis & Action)
 Uses Likert 5-point scale (1=strongly disagree; 5=strongly agree)
 39 responses analysed
 Pilot run first and survey modified
 Descriptive analysis
 Inferential analysis
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13. DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS (AFFIRMATION 9)
“While the organisation supported and encouraged learning, it was a shared
responsibility for commitment between the organisation and employees such that
employees were committed to the change.”
strongly
AFF9
disagree Strongly agree
2% 10%
disagree
13%
neutral
31% agree
44%
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14. DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS (AFFIRMATION 8)
“Senior managers reinforced values by talking about them and behaving in ways
that supported those values.”
AFF8
strongly
disagree Strongly agree
3% 10%
disagree
26%
agree
33%
neutral
28%
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15. DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS (AFFIRMATION 4)
“Top management allocated adequate resources towards efforts to identify gaps
in company alignment with social media requirements.”
AFF 4
Strongly agree
0%
strongly
disagree
10%
agree
disagree 40%
28%
neutral
22%
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16. DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS (ANALYSIS 3)
“Social media change provided new insights that were important for competitive
advantage.”
ANA3
disagree strongly
9% disagree
0%
Strongly agree
24%
neutral
29%
agree
38%
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17. DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS (ANALYSIS 2)
“There was frequent experimentation leading up to social media
implementation.”
ANA2
strongly
disagree Strongly agree
0% 9%
disagree
23%
neutral
12%
agree
56%
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18. DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS (ANALYSIS 11)
“Employees participated extensively in setting and reviewing social media
guidelines.”
strongly disagree
ANA11
Strongly agree
18% 6%
agree
26%
disagree
18%
neutral
32%
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19. DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS (ACTION 20)
“Cross-functional teams were often used.”
ACT20
strongly disagree
0% Strongly agree
18%
disagree
15%
neutral
26%
agree
41%
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20. DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS (ACTION 22)
“Employees had time to review and provide feedback to team members on how
the change was going despite workload.”
ACT22
Strongly agree
3%
strongly disagree
3%
agree
24%
disagree
33%
neutral
37%
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21. DESCRIPTIVE ANALYSIS (ACTION 16)
“Employees were rewarded for the right behaviours.“
ACT16
strongly
disagree Strongly agree
3% 12%
agree
disagree 15%
32%
neutral
38%
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22. INFERENTIAL ANALYSIS: COEFFICIENT OF
CORRELATION (R)
Themes Relationship 1 Relationship 2 Relationship 3
Affirmation Y1 Y2
Analysis X1 Y3
Action X2 X3
n Independent variable Dependent variable Coefficient of
(Yn) (Xn) correlation (r)
1 Affirmation Analysis 0.493
2 Affirmation Action 0.647
3 Analysis Action 0.691
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23. INFERENTIAL ANALYSIS: REGRESSION
(MODERATE-STRONG RELATIONSHIPS)
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24. INFERENTIAL ANALYSIS: REGRESSION
(WEAK RELATIONSHIPS)
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25. INFERENTIAL ANALYSIS: COMPARING
INTERNAL & EXTERNAL CHANGE AGENTS
(ANOVA)
35
Note that although the graph shows
30 slightly lower means for external agents,
there is statistically insignificant evidence
Mean score per construct
25 (less than 95% confidence)
to say that there is a difference
20 between the two types of change agents.
internal agents (24)
Hence, this research accepts
external agents (9)
15 the hypothesis that the mean scores are
the same.
10
5
0
Affirmation Analysis Action
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26. SUMMARY OF CONCLUSIONS
 Overall, highest scores are in Analysis and lowest scores are in Action.
 The strongest relationships exist between Analysis and Action(46%), and Affirmation and
Action (40%). Only a weak link is found between Affirmation and Analysis (22%). Other
factors not investigated may explain the rest of the movement in the independent
variables.
 Low participation levels in planning and analysis phases might not necessarily discredit
an organisation as a “learning organisation.” Hence, it could partially explain the weak
link between Affirmation and Analysis.
 The research concludes that learning during change has some influence on active
participation in social media programs. The research finds similarities between learning
organisation characteristics and participatory social media change such as a shared
vision, personal mastery, experimentation and the use of cross-functional teams.
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27. LIMITATIONS OF RESEARCH
 High number of “neutral” responses – refine survey instrument, modify
target audience
 Limited scope and time to cover issues such as company performance,
social media strategy, social marketing maturity, composition of cross-
functional teams and change agents‟ experience.
 Limited availability of change agents to interviews and survey – research
conducted over summer holidays.
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28. RECOMMENDATIONS
Invest in frequent
experimentation –
then formalise
processes with
meaningful Use of cross-
Empower early
measurements
adopters to start functional
action, reward teams, allowing
and/or recognise personal
early development and
achievements
Participatory contribution
AFF change in
Support through
social media
provision of programs Shared vision &
resources to responsibility
ANA identify and rectify between employees
cultural and organisation for
misalignment, commitment to
Inclusion of
training & acting change
employees and
out values
ACT their feedback in
strategic planning
& reviewing
guidelines
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29. FURTHER RESEARCH
 Primarily change agents were investigated. An investigation that includes
change “observers” or “recipients” may provide new insight.
 Refinement of the field survey instrument could improve the constructs
e.g. through factor analysis and produce a more rigorous analysis
 It appears that additional factors such as leadership style, change agent
experience, knowledge management, company size, organisational
culture and structure could be considered in further research to
strengthen correlations.
 A social media change management maturity model could be developed
through further research to provide a “road map” for companies
starting out in social media. For instance, Affirmation and Action may
not be as important as Analysis in companies trialling social media.
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30. GLOSSARY
 LEARNING ORGANISATION:
 „an environment where people continually expand their capacity to create results they truly desire
new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and
where people are continually learning how to learn together.‟ (Senge, 1990)
 ACTION LEARNING:
 „involves interrelated actions that comprise an iterative learning process – as employees
move through these activities they learn how to change and improve the organization, their
own work behaviours and interactions.‟ (Cummings, 2004)
 AFFIRMATION:
 the organisational environment and how it supports the change.
 ANALYSIS:
 the preparation and planning for social media change.
 ACTION:
 the extent and support of active employee participation during the implementation stage.
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