Jeanne Harris, Elizabeth Craig and Henry Egan
Because analytics are increasingly becoming a key source of competitive advantage, attracting, engaging and retaining analytical talent and building an organizations' analytical…
Abstract
Purpose
Because analytics are increasingly becoming a key source of competitive advantage, attracting, engaging and retaining analytical talent and building an organizations' analytical capability is now a key skill top management needs to learn. This paper aims to investigate this issue.
Design/methodology/approach
Given that analytics is a relatively new management discipline and that only a few leading companies manage the talent it requires as a strategic resource, the authors collected their best practices.
Findings
The paper specifies the four main practices that top executives need to follow to create and develop a talent‐powered analytical organization.
Research limitations/implications
The authors offer anecdotal research on leading companies.
Practical implications
What distinguishes talent‐powered analytical organizations is their ability to unleash their analysts' talents to maximize and continually expand the company's analytical capabilities.
Originality/value
By building and aligning the four key talent management capabilities revealed in this paper, organizations can maximize the strategic impact of their analytical talent and continually expand the organization's collective analytical capabilities.
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Jeanne G. Harris and Elizabeth Craig
This paper aims to set out key steps in the development, engagement and retention of analytical leaders, showing why they are such a core resource, highlighting the key types of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to set out key steps in the development, engagement and retention of analytical leaders, showing why they are such a core resource, highlighting the key types of analytical talent and focusing on the core skills needed to attain analytical proficiency.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on a comprehensive survey of 799 analytical professionals employed by large US companies across a range of industries carried out in July 2008, as well as on the book Analytics at Work by Thomas Davenport, Jeanne Harris and Robert Morison, which was published in 2010.
Findings
The research identified the core skills requirements for each of the four main types of analytical talent, highlighting the skill set needed by analytical leaders. Where developing and retaining this vital resource is concerned, it was found that analysts who understood their roles were six times more likely to be engaged than those who did not.
Practical implications
Organizations need to take steps to develop, care for and retain their analytical talent. This is a prerequisite for establishing analytical leadership in a recruitment market where competition for analytics talent is increasing all the time.
Originality/value
As well as drawing on exclusive research, the paper shows that Accenture uses case studies based on in‐depth interviews and thought leadership to demonstrate analytical leaders' unique qualities.
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Jeanne G. Harris, Elizabeth Craig and David A. Light
More and more, the leaders of business functions are turning for competitive insights to the massive data they can now capture. But to date, human resources departments have…
Abstract
Purpose
More and more, the leaders of business functions are turning for competitive insights to the massive data they can now capture. But to date, human resources departments have lagged behind the efforts of marketing, IT, CRM and other functions. The purpose of this article is to show how executives can start using data to measure and improve HR's contributions to business performance.
Design/methodology/approach
The article identifies six analytical tools that HR can use to connect HR efforts to business performance. Survey results underscore the value of an analytical approach while revealing that many HR departments are heavily focused on internal measures rather than business outcomes. Each analytical tool is exemplified through case studies. A model is presented to suggest how executives can get started by focusing on five key areas.
Findings
Leading companies are using six analytical tools to improve the connection between HR investments and business returns: employee databases; segmentation of talent; targeted investments; customization of the employee value proposition; long‐term workforce planning; and talent supply chains.
Originality/value
As the case studies reveal, the tools identified here can help HR leaders actively shape their organization's future – managing talent and directing programs toward the long‐term needs of the business. Survey data shows that most companies increasingly seek to use analytics for long‐term advantage, and the model presented here can help HR executives take the first critical steps.
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Elizabeth Craig and Yaarit Silverstone
The purpose of this paper is to explain why companies with an exclusive focus on individual engagement miss the opportunity to nurture the collective engagement that is the key to…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explain why companies with an exclusive focus on individual engagement miss the opportunity to nurture the collective engagement that is the key to high performance. It aims to report findings from the authors' research on the essential conditions for collective engagement and explain how leaders can create and sustain a mutually engaged workforce.
Design/methodology/approach
The research is based on a comprehensive survey of 1,367 full‐time employees of large US companies across a range of industries carried out in July 2008, as well as an in‐depth case study of a large, global organization operating in the manufacturing and services sector. In addition, the authors' extensive experience with hundreds of companies across a variety of industries informs the conclusions presented here.
Findings
There are three essential conditions for collective engagement. Meaningful work and career opportunities and support for employee effort and recovery are crucial for inspiring employees to fully engage at work. To translate individual engagement to collective engagement – companies must also cultivate a culture of trust and respect.
Research limitations/implications
This study introduces a framework for studying the essential organizational conditions for engagement, as well as the process of collective engagement. While the authors believe the conclusions to be relevant for the majority of companies, the research findings may be most applicable to large organizations. The survey sample was limited to employees of large US‐based companies (at least US$50 million in revenues) and the case study was conducted in a large global company.
Practical implications
Fostering collective engagement begins by engaging one team, one workgroup and one workforce at a time. The authors suggest ways for companies to begin the journey.
Originality/value
This paper is based on original research conducted at the Accenture Institute for High Performance. It introduces the concept of collective engagement and explains how companies can create and sustain a highly engaged workforce.
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Nigel Craig and James Sommerville
This paper aims to present findings from research that evaluate the defects/snagging management process at construction project level and review the potential for the operation of…
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present findings from research that evaluate the defects/snagging management process at construction project level and review the potential for the operation of a novel, paper‐based, records management mechanism.
Design/methodology/approach
The design and use of a hybrid electronic/paper‐based snagging management system are discussed. The design and practicalities of the system are considered as a means towards demonstrating that a link currently exists between modern IT systems and traditional, paper‐based methods of document transfer.
Findings
The paper finds that the snagging aspect of construction projects is often overlooked and under‐estimated. Construction projects require systems that facilitate data input and records management processing, thus removing the reliance upon traditional methods of working. A highly advanced digital pen and paper technology is discussed which has the potential to totally revolutionise the collection of information on paper (for all organisations). The IT system can be adapted for a range of processes/needs which aids not only management but also the individuals on the frontline responsible for collecting site‐based records.
Practical implications
The system highlighted has the potential to be adopted within every construction‐based organisation and indeed wider industrial sectors due to its unique adaptability and ease with which features can be incorporated. There are a number of business benefits to be accrued from the adoption of digital pen and paper‐based IT systems.
Originality/value
Extremely novel technology is discussed. The value to the construction industry and wider industrial sectors is the opportunity to continue working using existing processes, whilst at the same time becoming wholly electronic.
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The purpose of this paper is to explore introspection in marketing research, its controversial origins, its positioning as an art form, the possibilities and the pitfalls of…
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore introspection in marketing research, its controversial origins, its positioning as an art form, the possibilities and the pitfalls of research based on this method, and how to successfully enter into its creative spirit.
Design/methodology/approach
Although its overall approach is broadly conceptual, in a similar fashion to the dramatic device of a‐play‐within‐a‐play, the paper makes a habit of using introspection to reflect on introspection.
Findings
While it is clear that well‐written introspections can deliver rich stream‐of‐consciousness accounts of marketing‐relevant goodness from beginning to end, they provide more than just frivolous entertainment. The innermost imperative of introspection equates well with consumption, creativity and aestheticisation, the corner‐stones of arts marketing.
Research limitations/implications
The inherent mucky‐mindedness of introspection as a formal method lays its success or failure on the shoulders of the paper's author.
Practical implications
Whatever their interpretive methodology of choice, arts marketers, indeed all marketers, should give serious thought to integrating introspection into their research approach.
Originality/value
While many of the ideas in the paper are pilfered from other sources (see long list of references), the author is proud to assert that precisely these words have never been written in precisely this order.
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Abstract
Details
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This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting‐edge research and case studies.
Design/methodology/approach
This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context.
Findings
The leaders of business functions are turning increasingly for competitive insights to the massive data they can now capture. But human resources departments have lagged behind the efforts of marketing, IT, CRM and other functions. Jeanne G. Harris et al. of Accenture Institute for High Performance, in Boston, MA, demonstrate how executives can start using data to measure and improve HR's contributions to business performance.
Practical implications
The paper provides strategic insights and practical thinking that have influenced some of the world's leading organizations.
Originality/value
The briefing saves busy executives and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy‐to digest format.