How Employee Networks Can Support Sustainability Initiatives

CSRCSR initiatives are commonplace in many organizations today, but their success rate varies considerably.  A new study from Michigan State University highlights the crucial role employees, and particularly the networks they have, play in delivering successful change.

The research revolves around the way ideas and best practices spread throughout employee networks.  By carefully positioning key advocates in the right place in these networks, it can significantly help the spread of environmental best practice.

“The finding that you might be best able to learn from those in different organizational units is consistent with longstanding sociological theory,” the researchers explain. “Innovation comes from people in different units who have knowledge that is new to you. It suggests organizations should encourage employees to think and act outside of their network boxes from time to time.”

Viral sustainability

The findings emerged after the researchers conducted both surveys and qualitative interviews to examine how social networks form and behave within a complex water sustainability project.  The researchers were working with The Nature Conservancy, who have a number of detailed scientific principles and strategic frameworks that underpin its work around the world.  They were keen to ensure that this best practice reached their expansive workforce around the world without requiring specific training.

A number of staff from The Nature Conservancy’s North American team were surveyed, with each employee also quizzed to understand the professional development they and their colleagues received.

The analysis revealed that creating teams that allow employees to learn from innovators can be more effective than more traditional methods of training and development, especially as those whose knowledge was lacking were among the quickest to adopt best practice via this method.

“For individuals collaborating in a workplace, the ability to communicate and work together is imperative,” the researchers explain. “Using new methods and practices that have already been adopted by one’s peers makes sense in terms of being able to work together most efficiently. Rather than wanting to be rooted in one’s way, those individuals are more open to new practices and methods.”

What’s more, this tacit knowledge exchange doesn’t have to involve hierarchical approaches, such as mentoring, as it was just as effective when people were paired with people at a similar level to themselves.

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