Measuring Organizational Climate Essay Example

Measuring Organizational Climate Essay CONTENT: from where you get the Appendix Measuring Organizational Climate Name: Course: We will write a custom essay sample on Measuring Organizational Climate specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Measuring Organizational Climate specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Measuring Organizational Climate specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Date: Executive Summary Organizational climate refers to the shared values and perceptions employees have towards the organization. The values and thoughts regarding the firm revolve around a variety of dimensions that have an influence on the performance and attitudes of the employees. Therefore, such assertions can have a positive or negative effect on the productivity of the company. In order to determine the dimensions, researchers have deduced several suppositions that reutilized to define study and measure the climate of an organization. The propositions mainly revolve around different approaches, the levels of an organization’s climate as well as methods utilized to measure organizational climate. The development of the criterion for the definition, study and measurement of organizational climate enables one to understand implicitly about the assertion of organizational climate and effects of the theory on the workforce. Furthermore, possessing adequate knowledge on organizational climate enables the management to determine the attributes and thoughts of employees. By knowing such dimensions, management can create and deduce comprehensive master plans that can increase the financial performance of the firm, increase cohesion among the workers and increase employee productivity in the organization. Literature Review Organizational climate refers to the process utilized to undergo quantitative assessment of the culture of an organization. Organizational climate is the perception of the individuals in the organization regarding the workplace environment (Robbins, 2002). It is comprised of the outline of attitudes and mannerisms that influence people’s organizational experience. For instance, the firm’s climate may include conflict among workers and performance standards. Such experiences influence the capabilities of employees and have an effect on their productivity. In order for management to determine the influences, organizational climate requires to be measured. By measuring organizational climate, the management will be able to administer the various dimensions encompassing the organization. Approaches to Organizational Climate Researchers, surveyors and practitioners, have created methods of measuring organizational climate. Such methods measure abstract factors of the employees in the organization. These psychological dimensions include factors include morale, communication effectiveness, openness, employee motivation and establishment of roles in the organization. However, such factors are not the only factors that can be used to measure the climate of an organization. According to Ashkanasy et al., (2000), it is important to fathom organizational climates in order to comprehend the effects of the organizational structure. Several approaches were created to understand the organizational climate considerably. The first approach, structural approach, enables one to view the organization as an objective configuration comprised of attributes referring to the externality of the organization. Attributes such as the size of the organization, the hierarchy and the guiding policies are among factors that define an organization’s structure. These authentic conditions determine the employees’ attitudes, perceptions and values of the events in the organization. However, critics have argued against this approach asserting that its validity is questionable since it does not provide accurate methods of measuring an organization’s climate. Furthermore, the structural approach only considers the structure of the organization: hence, it does not factor in the person’s thoughts regarding the attributes of the organization (MacCormick Parker, 2010). The second approach, perceptual approach is more oriented towards human resource management. This is because the approach focuses on the individuals in the organization. The theory surmises that individuals are affected by either their perceptions or psychological impression they attach to the traits of the organization. Therefore, the approach is viewed as humanistic since climate is based on a person’s perception (Ashkanasy et al., 2000). Despite the approach delving towards the labor resource of an organization, it is still subject to criticism. Foremost, the principal cause of climate is situated chiefly in individuals, thereby discarding the likelihood of a composition hypothesis. Therefore, the theory cannot be viewed as an attribute. The second criticism asserts that the approach presupposes that individuals attach meaning to events and processes in the organization. Hence, the approach disregards that the events and processes can result from the interface between membe rs of the organization. The third approach, interactive approach, combines the two approaches borrowing the main aspects of the theories to create one strong approach to organizational climate. The approach is based on the objectivism advocated for by the structural approach as well as the subjectivism vouched for by the perceptual approach. The fundamental postulation of the interactive theory borders on the causative factors of the organizational climate (Burton, 2004). It assumes that the relations between persons with response to organizational situations results in the collective agreement of members of the organization. Consequently, the agreement between organizational members creates organizational climate. Hence, the interactive approach relates the perceptual and structural aspects because it recognizes meaning is fashioned when an individual purposely interacts with other people and objects since it provides meaning for either of the two. The concluding approach relates the organizational climate with the culture in the organization. The approach does not focus on the formal constituents of the organizations, the interactive, structural and perceptual approaches. Rather, the approach focuses on the organizational beliefs and practices. Additionally, the cultural approach asserts that the organizational climate results from the shared perceptions individuals share as they learn to deal with the demands of the organization (Alvesson, 2002). The approach emphasizes on the rule of the interactive approach agreeing with it that the interaction of individuals in the organization contributes the organizational climate. However, the approach also factors in the role of organizational culture in the development of an organization’s climate. This is because the beliefs and practices of individuals in the organization influence their values and perceptions regarding various aspects of the organization. Dimensions of Organizational Climate In order to determine the valid dimensions that comprise organizational climate, it is fundamental to recognize the different levels under which organizational climate is based upon. According to James (2008), psychological climate comprises organizational climate because the climate is deemed a personal attribute. Additionally, psychological climate explains the individual perceptions and descriptions regarding the policies and procedures of the organization. Furthermore, the psychological notion is integrated into the framework of organizational climate, which borders on the perceptive references of the individuals within the organization. Thumin and Thumin (2011) provide another level of climate towards the concept of organizational climate. The group climate refers to the attributes perceived by an organization or its parts. Therefore, group climate results from the methods used by the organization to administer its members. Additionally, organizational climate is assumed to have developed to a group attribute from an attribute characterized by an individual in an organization. As aforementioned, the definitions and hypotheses towards organizational climate are various. Furthermore, the approaches also influence the dimensions which are the measures utilized to determine an organization’s climate. Despite the impact of the approaches, researchers use various determinants in the measurement of organizational climate. Furthermore, research has identified different dimensions, but in this research, it is important to consider the most fundamental dimensions in most organizations. Primary Research To measure organizational climate, research requires a hypothesis to support the main objective of the assessment. The hypothesis formulated for the research indicated a strong relationship between dimensions in the organization and the organizational climate. Method In the research, a descriptive survey was used in a small Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Center, in the state of Florida. The data gathered was primary. Questionnaires were concluded electronically. The medium utilized was intranet since the survey was carried out inside the organization. Moreover, the survey would be free from external bias. The main purpose of using the survey was to moderate cost and time of the firm and the employees (Gordon, 2004). The sample comprised 500 employees around the region. The measuring tool was a validated questionnaire designed especially for the organization. The model utilized for the questionnaire was the 12-factor model, which comprised 10 dimensions. The 10 dimensions incorporated in the model comprised job satisfaction, remuneration, workplace environment, individual development, exigent and appealing work, image, employee wellness, leadership, communication and diversity. During the analysis, it was discovered that particular dimensions possessed a direct impact on the employee and a circuitous control on other employees. The dimensions found to have an influence were employee wellness, interpersonal fit, exigent and appealing work and individual development. The dimensions discovered to create a direct influence included leadership, diversity, remuneration, work environment, and image. The results established that direct and indirect influence factors have an impact on the organizational climate. The hypothesis was also supported by the use of questionnaires that measured the organization’s climate. The measurements used referred to descriptive statistics, which incorporate the mean, standard deviation, kurtosis and skewness. The measurements were used in the table presentation in order to assess the various dimensions presented by the questionnaire that had an impact on the organizational climate. Additionally, the presentation offers alpha coefficients for every dimension as well as the total scale. The coefficients are above 0.8 with only the work environment being below 0.6. The mean results in the presentation were utilized to provide a synopsis of the climate of the organization. The recommended cut off point of 3.2 was utilized to validate the difference between potential positive and negative perceptions. The points that were higher than 3.2 indicate positive perception while the points lower than 3.2 indicate negative perception of the dimension under scrutiny . Furthermore, the mean of 3.2 was considered since it is deemed optimal as well as provides a proper guideline to distinguish between optimistic and pessimistic potential perceptions. From the table, it is evident that climate in the organization is positive since it comprises a mean score of 3.56 throughout the dimensions. The results indicate that most employees were contented with the assortment of organizational facets. This resulted from the measurement of the 11 dimensions because all dimensions, except a pair of them, had mean points that were above 3.2 points. The results of individual development (3.11) and remuneration (2.77) dimensions portrayed that employees perceived individual development opportunities in the firm negatively and agreed that remuneration practices were negative. Therefore, the organization can take these negative perceptions of the dimensions into consideration. This will assist the organization in assessing such areas and developing them in the futur e. The results also indicated that most employees were satisfied with their jobs pertaining to the job satisfaction dimension, which measured at 3.36. Thus, the results indicated that the employees found their work exigent and appealing and thus noted that their future in the firm would be optimistic. Organizational climate plays an important role in determining the strategies an organization will create in order to influence employees. The measurement of organizational climate is therefore efficient since it can provide employees’ sentiments regarding the organization. Furthermore, using the measurements of the organization can also assist the management in determining the causes behind the positive or negative financial performance of the firm. Measuring the organizational climate enables interaction between the management and the employees thereby creating solidarity in the organization. References Alvesson, M. (2002). Understanding organizational culture. London: SAGE. http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=zcm1m9YnJ8kCprintsec=frontcover#v=onepageqf=false Ashkanasy, N. M., Wilderom, C., Peterson, M. F. (2000). Handbook of organizational culture climate. Thousand Oaks, Calif: Sage Publications. http://books.google.co.ke/books?id=AUt1i9ZEa48Cprintsec=frontcover#v=onepageqf=false Burton, R. M. (2004). The impact of organizational climate and strategic fit on firm performance. Human Resource Management, 43(1), 67-82. Gordon, J. (Ed.) (2004). Pfeiffer classic inventories, questionnaires, and surveys for training and development. San Francisco, California: John Wiley Sons. http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0787974692/ref=sib_dp_pt#reader-link James, L. (March 01, 2008). Organizational and psychological climate: A review of theory and research. European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychology, 17, 1, 5-32. http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13594320701662550#preview MacCormick, J., Parker, S. (January 01, 2010). A multiple climates approach to understanding business unit effectiveness. Human Relations, 63, 11, 1771-1806. http://hum.sagepub.com/content/63/11/1771.abstract Robbins, S. P. (2002). Organizational behavior: Concepts, controversies and applications. Indianapolis: Prentice Hall. Thumin, F., Thumin, L. (January 01, 2011). The Measurement and Interpretation of Organizational Climate. The Journal of Psychology, 145, 2, 93-109. Appendix The Relationship between Organizational Climate and Employee Satisfaction. http://www.google.com/url?sa=trct=jq=esrc=ssource=webcd=1cad=rjaved=0CCIQFjAAurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sajip.co.za%2Findex.php%2Fsajip%2Farticle%2Fdownload%2F800%2F880ei=0c2YUIOcEsSk0AWz0YGwBgusg=AFQjCNHl1moXpz1YS6NuEi1_UFo59FnYXA Method 1 DimensionNMeanSkewnessKurtosisCoefficientsIndividual development5003.11-0.271-0.4520.875Leadership5003.83-0.7961.0010.914Job Satisfaction5003.36-0.370-0.1280.812Employee Wellness5003.72-0.8371.2190.826Communication5003.50-0.5670.3760.880Work Environment5003.59-0.6840.0840.596Image5003.81-0.6500.7610.838Diversity5003.59-0.362-0.2470.868Remuneration5002.77-0.271-0.4970.854Exigent and Appealing Work5003.67-0.5840.1280.892