EEA Research Division Focuses on Independent Effectiveness Studies and Program Design
- A collaboration of the Enterprise Engagement Alliance, Rick Garlick and Associates; Dr. Paul White and Appreciation at Work, and others committed to stakeholder engagement program design and measurement, the EEA research division supports efforts to measure stakeholder management effectiveness.
- A research service uniquely focused on helping organizations more effectively engage their stakeholders across the enterprise—customers, employees, supply chain and distribution partners, communities—consistent with the new European Union Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive that creates an entirely new standard of reporting
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Click here for a one-page PDF of the EEA research services.
The Enterprise Engagement Alliance engagement research service brings together experts in consumer and business research, organizational psychology, engagement program design and return on investment measurement specifically in employee, customer, distribution partner, and related engagement.
The team consists of business leaders with a combination of measurement, qualitative and quantitative analysis, organizational psychology, and statistical process controls frequently used on total quality management.
Who Can Benefit
Organizations and their solution providers seeking:
- Independent evaluation: Independent third-party analysis of the effectiveness of current incentive, reward, and recognition platforms, including: retention, referrals, sales, quality, safety, loyalty, or efforts to promote DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) and ESG (Environmental, Stakeholder, Governance) processes.
- Professional design: Return-on-investment-based design of incentive, recognition, loyalty, DEI, ESG programs to reduce turnover, cut costs, increase referrals, productivity, quality, in a highly measurable, auditable fashion, with optional RFPs and managed outsourcing as desired.
- An understanding of the cost of disengagement. The EEA uses processes utilized in research and ISO (International Organization for Standardization) human capital reporting to help organizations put a reasonable estimate on the cost of employee, customer, and distributor partner engagement and the potential for enhanced financial performance if the salient issues can be addressed.
- Independent research: authoritative market studies, white papers, surveys, based on customer needs with a built-in means to promote the results.
The Research Toolkit
The Enterprise Engagement Alliance provides four types of services for the world of engagement across the enterprise: ROI-Based Program Design; Independent Stakeholder Engagement Evaluation; Cost of Disengagement Analysis,
1. Independent Engagement Evaluation
We use quantitative and qualitative research approaches to develop a data-driven strategy for organization improvement to reduce turnover. That includes:
- Identifying what incentive, recognition, or loyalty technologies are being used, if any, to support the program and that could serve as a source of quantitative and qualitative data?
- Determining what is being done to enhance retention, referrals, sales, or whatever the goals, and how are they measured.
- Establishing a baseline of retention and referrals and making sure both can be properly measured.
- Surveying the employees quarterly using your current or a platform we provide to establish baselines on how people say they feel that can be compared with what they do, including pre- and post-program evaluations.
- Using employee focus groups (live or via video) to gain qualitative feedback as well as quantitative.
- Monitoring implementation of the program through its progress along with any interim data available, including access to all information collected under an NDA.
- Providing a final report based on the pre-determined performance measures and return on investment that will include:
- Cost of the effort versus the financial and other benefits.
- Elements of the program that appear to have had the greatest or least impact on outcomes based on data available.
- Greatest predictors of flight risk to look for in employes.
2. ROI-Based Program Design and Evaluation
Rather than re-invent the wheel, the Enterprise Engagement Alliance employs a statistical process control system known as the Master Measurement Model used for decades in total quality management as well as other widely known survey, qualitative and quantitative analysis applying independent, insightful research to enhance process design. The service includes a transparent process for:
- Establishing realistic goals by involving stakeholders in the process.
- Creating a baseline for engagement based on a survey or sales, turnover, referrals, and/or other measures.
- Determining the value of achieving those goals to the organization in quantitative and qualitative terms.
- Identifying the behaviors and actions needed to achieve the goals and the value of their contribution to the goal.
- Establishing the best available tools to make sure the target audience has the knowledge, desire, and clear goals needed to succeed, including the right rewards based on who they are.
- Creating the business plan integrating the appropriate engagement tactics, roles and responsibilities, timeline, and budget.
- Monitoring the process against purpose, goals and objectives and communicating obstacles or successes.
- Evaluating the results and sharing recommendations for improvement.
This same process can be used to evaluate the impact of an already completed program.
3. Cost of Disengagement Analysis
Based on the extensive experience of its founders and past research analyzing the cost and benefits of having engaged customers and employees, the EEA provides a service to help organizations estimate the cost of employee, customer, or distribution partner engagement; the potential causes, and the realistic potential benefits of enhancing engagement.
Using a proprietary process based on the requirements of clients and the nature of their business, the EEA, under a non-disclosure agreement, evaluates available data on customer, employee, distribution partner, volunteer or other stakeholder engagement, depending on the audience being evaluated, along with available relevant financial information related to the relevant stakeholders, and the practices and costs of measures used to engage people. The service is 100% guaranteed; if, after a preliminary analysis, the EEA does not believe it can provide a reasonable estimate of the cost of disengagement and potential for improvement, it will not take on the assignment. And, if after its undertaking, the EEA does not believe it can provide accurate data, any funds paid will be returned, minus a minimal pre- agreed upon setup fee.
4. Independent Engagement Research
The EEA’s research management team have decades of experience in consumer and business to business research and organizational psychology, making us ideal for associations or organizations seeking to underwrite credible research on effective practices, outcomes, or market opportunities.
Bruce Bolger, Founder, Enterprise Engagement Alliance, founding member of the original SITE Foundation, founder of the Forum for People Performance Management and Measurement at Northwestern University, and founder of the Enterprise Engagement Alliance at TheEEA.org.
Rick Garlick, Founder, Rick Garlick Associates, with extensive experience at the Incentive Research Foundation, Magid, JD Powers, Maritz, and others.
Todd Hanson, Founder, Catalyst Performance Group, a business operating system and return on investment expert.
Dr. Jack Phillips, President, CEO, the ROI Institute, perhaps the first firm focusing specifically on measuring the return on investment of almost any people activity, including marketing.
Dr. Paul White, Founder of Appreciation at Work, and co-author of “The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace,” which sells over 4,000 editions per month in over 25 languages.
Guaranteed Marketing Support for Human Capital, Engagement, and Total Rewards Research
Because of its established media properties, ESM at EnterpriseEngagement.org and RRN at RewardsRecognitionNetwork.com, with 20,000 monthly readers, and the collaboration with Dr. Paul White of Appreciation at Work with a monthly audience of over 75,000 readers, the EEA research program offers the unique ability to provide communications support for any research related to stakeholder engagement or total rewards.