Opinion leaders in organizational change processes : insights from a large-scale quantitative survey to identify, characterize, and classify influential employees within a multinational corporation

Abstract

The successful implementation of change processes requires efficient and effective communication. While previous research has explored various aspects of change communication, the role of opinion leaders – individuals who are more influential than others within their networks – has been largely overlooked. These opinion leaders could play a key role in driving the successful implementation of organizational change. This study aims to investigate the characteristics and potential existence of distinct types of opinion leaders within the context of an organizational change process. We conducted a quantitative online survey (n = 4,114) in a multinational corporation undergoing a significant change initiative. The findings reveal that opinion leadership is influenced by several factors: opinion leaders often hold leadership positions, possess strong personality traits, and maintain cross-hierarchical and cross-functional networks characterized by intense relationships. They also demonstrate high expertise related