Summary
Researchers must adeptly navigate a dual remit in organizations. The initial challenge involves delivering insights that matter. The subsequent task requires discerning the necessary adjustments the organization must undertake to effectively act upon those insights. In this presentation, we’ll talk about a model of change and a theory of power to enable researchers to embrace and fulfill their dual mission. It is at this intersection of meaning and action that research can impact lives.
Key Insights
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Research impact should be viewed beyond immediate innovation or revenue, focusing also on organizational learning and reflection.
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Mindset shifts within organizations are essential precursors to sustainable change from research insights.
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Power structures, especially the 'power core', heavily influence which research insights can be acted upon.
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Researchers often work in environments where stakeholders have little incentive and sometimes disincentives to change their minds.
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The Wells Fargo scandal illustrates how reward structures and culture can cause unethical behavior despite known risks.
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Using frameworks like Jake Galbraith's star model with a cultural overlay helps locate where insights may create organizational impact or resistance.
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Double loop learning encourages organizations to question internal assumptions, enabling deeper change versus simple corrective actions.
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Building coalitions and alliances is critical for researchers to safely surface controversial or inconvenient insights.
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Ethical responsibility is integral for researchers, who must balance organizational profit motives with honoring participant voices.
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Psychological safety and humble inquiry are vital cultural conditions for employees to speak up about uncomfortable truths.
Notable Quotes
"We are the only thing we can control, how quickly we learn and how we adapt based on that learning."
"Great research doesn’t automatically have the intended impact because people may not want their minds changed."
"Why do you call branches stores? Are you there to help me with my finances or to sell me something I don’t need or want?"
"The executive’s interpretation was completely out of line with the customers’ realities."
"Power core is where senior executives really care about outcomes or functions that hold power."
"Anticipate resistance; if a project has a lot of scrutiny, controversial insights are likely."
"Research is not just delivering insights out there in a transactional model, but in a dialogic model."
"You have to trust your gut—your moral center is your best guide for speaking up."
"Building coalitions and embedding research insights within the culture is essential for long-term impact."
"Good research does not speak for itself; it requires a whole communication plan and explicit role as a catalyst for change."
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