How do you communicate and present the findings of factor analysis and cluster analysis to stakeholders?

Factor analysis and cluster analysis are two powerful methods for exploring and summarizing survey data, but they can also be challenging to communicate and present to stakeholders who may not be familiar with the technical details. In this article, you will learn some practical tips and best practices for explaining the results and implications of these analyses in a clear and engaging way.

1 Explain the purpose and benefits

Before diving into the findings of factor analysis and cluster analysis, you should first explain why you used these methods and what benefits they offer for your survey project. Factor analysis helps you identify the underlying dimensions or themes that explain the variation in your survey responses, while cluster analysis helps you group your respondents into meaningful segments based on their similarities and differences. You should highlight how these methods can help you simplify and organize your data, reveal hidden patterns and insights, and inform your decisions and actions.

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Devika Dhamija, Ph.D. (she/her)

Research @23andMe | Behavioral scientist | Passionate about health, well-being, DEI
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For example, through an organizational survey, factor analysis may help identify some common underlying dimensions captured by the survey items, such as belonging, burnout, workforce engagement. On the other hand, cluster analysis can help uncover groups of employees who have similar patterns of responding to these survey items, such that you may discover a cluster of employees high in engagement and high in burnout, another which is low in engagement and high in burnout, etc.

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Rob Podhurst

President at Podhurst Associates Marketing Research
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But don't explain too much, because your stakeholders are not statisticians. They want to know what time it is, not how to build a watch. It's usually sufficient to tell them that these are statistical techniques used to group attributes and/or people. If they want to know more, direct them to the appendix.

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2 Use visual aids and examples

One of the most effective ways to communicate and present the findings of factor analysis and cluster analysis is to use visual aids and examples that illustrate your points and make them easier to understand. For factor analysis, you can use graphs or tables to show the factor loadings, which indicate how strongly each survey item relates to each factor. You can also use examples or labels to describe the meaning and interpretation of each factor. For cluster analysis, you can use charts or maps to show the distribution and characteristics of each cluster. You can also use profiles or personas to give each cluster a name and a personality.

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Dominique Graham, BA, M.Ed

Administrative Research Associate | Program Evaluator | Informal STEM Educator
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Using the table, charts and graphs tool on Microsoft would be great to illuminate findings. If data is on a spreadsheet, using excel to create a chart of your preference would display your data nicely!

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3 Focus on the key takeaways and implications

While it is important to provide some background and context for your factor analysis and cluster analysis, you should not overwhelm your stakeholders with too much detail or jargon. Instead, you should focus on the key takeaways and implications of your findings, and how they relate to your research questions and objectives. You should highlight the main similarities and differences between the factors and clusters, and how they can help you understand your target audience, evaluate your survey items, design your interventions, or optimize your strategies.

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Dominique Graham, BA, M.Ed

Administrative Research Associate | Program Evaluator | Informal STEM Educator
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I agree. Using brief captions for figures/charts would be helpful and have a section just underneath for "highlights" or "important findings."

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Paul Eder, PhD

Top, Top Voice on LinkedIn (142 categories) | Strategy Consulting, Artificial Intelligence, & Data Innovation | Author of FIRESTARTERS
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Most stakeholders don't need to know the nuts and bolts of factor analysis. But it is helpful to know the outcome. So frame the discussion in terms of what the output means vs. The technical nitty gritty.

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4 Address the limitations and assumptions

Another aspect of communicating and presenting the findings of factor analysis and cluster analysis is to acknowledge the limitations and assumptions of these methods, and how they may affect the validity and reliability of your results. You should explain the criteria and steps you used to select the number of factors and clusters, and how you tested the adequacy and fit of your models. You should also mention any potential sources of error or bias, such as sampling, measurement, or clustering methods, and how you tried to minimize or control them.

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5 Provide recommendations and action steps

Finally, you should provide some recommendations and action steps based on the findings of your factor analysis and cluster analysis, and how they can help you achieve your goals and solve your problems. You should also invite your stakeholders to provide feedback and suggestions, and discuss how you plan to follow up or extend your analysis. You should emphasize the value and relevance of your findings, and how they can help you improve your survey design and implementation.

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6 Include a report or appendix

Depending on the format and purpose of your communication and presentation, you may also want to include a report or appendix that provides more detail and documentation of your factor analysis and cluster analysis. This can help you support your claims and arguments, and provide more transparency and credibility to your methods and results. You can include tables, charts, code, or references that show your data, calculations, tests, or sources. You can also provide a summary or overview of your report or appendix, and direct your stakeholders to access it if they want to learn more.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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Colin Onita

Educator & Researcher | Data Analytics | Artificial Intelligence | Cyber security | AIS
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Visualize the data: Use charts, graphs, and diagrams to illustrate the key findings of the analysis and better understand the patterns and relationships within the data. Provide clear explanations: Avoid using technical jargon and complex statistical terms. Focus on the big picture: Highlight the main insights and focus on how the results can inform decision-making and add value to the organization. Use concrete examples: Provide concrete examples of practical application of results to help stakeholders to see the real-world implications of the findings. Encourage discussion: Encourage sharing insights and perspectives on the analysis results. This can help to build buy-in and support for the findings.

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How do you communicate and present the findings of factor analysis and cluster analysis to stakeholders?

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1 Explain the purpose and benefits

2 Use visual aids and examples

3 Focus on the key takeaways and implications

4 Address the limitations and assumptions

5 Provide recommendations and action steps

6 Include a report or appendix

7 Here’s what else to consider

Survey Design

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