Complex organizational change can happen fast. Sustaining it requires adopting new behaviors and habits. BCG’s Behavioral Science Lab applies a scientific, behaviorally informed approach to the challenge of behavioral change, enabling organizations to predictably succeed.
Julia Dhar
Transformations, new business models, novel uses of technology: successful change management can unlock previously unimaginable organizational growth. However, sparking and sustaining the necessary behavioral change is difficult. Most change programs fail because they don’t sufficiently drive human behavior toward needed habits and actions for success. That’s why our insights and solutions are informed by behavioral research and analysis. Some say change management is an art. We know it’s a science.
BCG’s Behavioral Science Lab is a team of strategists, behavioral scientists, economists, psychologists, and anthropologists. Our behavioral science approach uses evidence-based methods and interventions to predict and shift behavior, fostering change that benefits organizations, their employees, and those they serve, whether customers or citizens. Typically, we work with clients in one of three ways:
Every engagement is defined by collaboration. We work side by side with clients and draw on BCG’s full roster of experts—those in traditional business areas, including people and organization strategy, as well as emerging technologies, such as AI. Like all BCG teams, we prioritize enablement, ensuring that clients fully develop the capabilities necessary to sustain behavior change.
The Behavioral Science Lab works with organizations across industries and across the globe. While different engagements call for different solutions, all share a common goal: to understand the motivations, impediments, and interventions that influence change. Here are some examples of our impact.
A North American mining company was transforming from a transactional service provider to a strategic business partner. Success required behavioral change for some 250 employees across the impacted functions. We identified 20 barriers to change and designed tailored interventions to lower them—stimulating business behavior that creates business value.
A social services agency wanted to reduce unemployed workers’ dependence on government support by more quickly connecting job seekers with opportunities. We used our behavioral science approach to develop interventions that motivated unemployed workers early on—when they were applying for benefits—to secure a job quickly. These interventions nudged job seekers, accelerated the path to employment, and generated $650 million in savings.
A large financial institution sought behavioral changes to reduce costs. Our behavioral science consultants analyzed work patterns and used software systems to help the client realize $40 million in savings. But sparking behavior change also had another benefit: a 30% improvement in satisfaction from leaders at the financial institution.
A pharmaceutical company was undertaking a next-generation sales transformation. To bolster the plan, we designed a nudge engine—effectively, an AI-powered virtual manager—that delivered prompts to drive the desired behaviors among the company’s field force. The result: a 58% increase in sales calls, and a 25% increase in average in-clinic time for each call.
We use proprietary tools, anchored in data and scientific methods, to customize and optimize solutions for behavior change. These solutions empower clients, fueling a long-term capacity for identifying the pain points and interventions that are most relevant to business behavior.
We also help clients by using best-in-class behavioral tools and approaches, such as randomized control trials and Remesh sessions, which collect qualitative insights from audiences in real time and at scale. These methods and resources complement our proprietary toolkit. Here are two of our most important resources:
Momentum Meter. Research has found that people’s attitude toward change—their change energy—is influenced by two factors. The first is confidence, or individuals’ belief in their ability to succeed. The second is mental capacity, or their bandwidth to complete complex tasks. These factors shift over time—often rapidly—and are affected by what is happening in their work life and personal life. Our assessment is a weekly pulse check, supported by powerful analytics, that examines employee sentiment during periods of change and that provides insights that spark timely and precise interventions.
Nudges at Scale. When deployed in innovative and savvy ways, technology is a potent accelerator of behavior change. Our nudges-at-scale team leverages data science, digital, and other enablers to develop interventions that spur value-creating business behavior. AI-powered nudge engines, for example, recommend actions—such as follow-up sales calls—that promote best practices, enhance workflows, and deliver optimal outcomes.
BCG's Behavioral Science Lab helps clients see change management issues through a behavioral lens.
People closer to the decision making feel more favorably toward change than those further away. Employees need to have more agency in the process.
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BCG’s Behavioral Science Lab effects change and creates value by applying expertise in economics, sociology, psychology, consumer insights, marketing, neuroscience, and cutting-edge technologies. Our leadership team brings more than 50 years of experience in these areas. Here are some members of our behavior change consulting team:
