Organizational behavior monitoring analysis and influence

• US 8,301,475 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2010
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bean, Dan M., Bedekar, Sameer D., Smith, Ross F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Jarrett, Scott L
• Application Number:
  US12/776,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20110276369A1
• Time in Patent Office: 904 Days
• Field of Search: 705/7.11, 705/7.42
• US Class Current: 705/7.11
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06398 Performance of employee with respect to a job function

Abstract

Approaches are provided for monitoring, analyzing, and influencing organizational behaviors through multi-modal communication systems. Desired and undesired behaviors and applicable organizational contexts are defined and action plans developed. The behaviors are then monitored through communication sessions between members and analyzed for comparison to the action plans such that feedback may be provided at individual and/or organizational levels to influence the behaviors.

Claims

1. A method to be executed on a computing device for monitoring, analyzing, and influencing organizational behavior at a processor of the computing device, the method comprising:

determining desired and undesired behaviors at the processor;

determining an organizational context comprising at least one from a set of;

a supervisor-supervisee interaction, a supervisee-supervisor interaction, and a peer-to-peer interaction at the processor;

identifying actions associated with the desired and undesired behaviors within the organizational context at the processor;

monitoring communication sessions of at least one modality to detect identified actions at the processor;

tracking trust building and eroding behaviors from the desired and undesired behaviors including at least one from a set of;

terms, gestures, and patterns in the communication sessions at the processor;

analyzing detected actions at the processor;

computing a score reflecting frequency of use of the detected actions associated with desired and undesired behaviors;

aggregating the score anonymously for at least one from a set of;

a predefined group within an organization and the entire organization for an indication of behavior patterns and progress for defined action plans for the group and the organization;

including feedback in analysis results to alter the actions to one of;

a reduction in the trust eroding behaviors and an encouragement of trust building behaviors at the processor; and

providing the analysis results and the score to one of;

monitored members of the organization, a supervisor of the monitored members, and a designated member of the organization from the processor such that desired behaviors are encouraged and undesired behaviors are discouraged.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an action plan from a monitored member of the organization at the processor;

comparing the detected actions to the action plan at the processor; and

providing a progress report to the member based on the comparison from the processor.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one modality of the communication sessions includes one of:

an audio communication, a video communication, a text-based communication, a whiteboard sharing session, a data sharing session, and an online presentation session.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the actions include at least one from a set of:

a verbal phrase, a gesture, a mannerism, and a pattern of behavior.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitored communication sessions include one-to-one sessions, one-to-many sessions, and many-to-many sessions.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the analysis results include one of:

the score computed over time, the score computed for each interacted member of the organization, and the score computed for each communication session.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the score is weighted based on at least one from a set of:

a geographic region of monitored members of the organization, a cultural background, a type of communication sessions, and a context of interactions between the members of the organization.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the desired and undesired behaviors are determined to enhance at least one from a set of:

an organizational coherence, an organizational performance, an organizational innovativeness, and an organizational trust.

9. A system for monitoring, analyzing, and influencing organizational behavior through multi-modal communications, the system comprising:

a first server for facilitating communication sessions in at least one modality;

a second server for executing a behavior application, wherein the behavior application is configured to;

determine desired and undesired behaviors for enhancing at least one organizational aspect;

determine an organizational context comprising at least one from a set of;

a supervisor-supervisee interaction, a supervisee-supervisor interaction, and a peer-to-peer interaction;

identify actions associated with the desired and undesired behaviors within the organizational context;

monitor the communication sessions of at least one modality facilitated by the first server to detect identified actions;

track trust building and eroding behaviors from the desired and undesired behaviors including at least one from a set of;

terms, gestures, and patterns in the communication sessions;

analyze detected actions;

compute a score reflecting frequency of use of the detected actions associated with desired and undesired behaviors;

aggregate the score anonymously for at least one from a set of;

a predefined group within an organization and the entire organization for an indication of behavior patterns and progress for defined action plans for the group and the organization;

include feedback in analysis results to alter the actions to one of;

a reduction in the trust eroding behaviors and an encouragement of trust building behaviors; and

provide the analysis results and the score to one of;

monitored members of the organization, a supervisor of the monitored members, and a designated member of the organization such that desired behaviors are encouraged and undesired behaviors are discouraged.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a data store for storing predefined desired and undesired behaviors and the action plans for members.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the behavior application is further configured to enable the monitored members to perform at least one from a set of:

adding, deleting, and modifying desired and undesired behaviors, and the action plans at the data store.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the behavior application is further configured to match monitored members based on the behavior patterns for staffing purposes.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the behavior application is further configured to:

predict the monitored member'"'"'s behavior based on at least one from a set of;

the monitored behavior, the member'"'"'s calendar, and the member'"'"'s past practices; and

provide a practice opportunity by generating a simulated situation.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the score is displayed through one of:

a user interface of a browsing application and a user interface of a communication application executed by the first server.