Organizational climate and ineffectiveness: Evidence from 25 outdoor work crew divisions

Organizational climate research has witnessed considerable debate surrounding the nature of the climate construct and its likely consequences. Recent discussion around total quality management adds to the debate by offering insight into the nature of high performance work climates and likely outcomes of such climates. In the current study, several different forms of organizational climate which are indicative of high performance work climates (i.e., trust, quality, cooperation, and customer orientation) were investigated as division-level predictors of organizational ineffectiveness and lost productivity (i.e., accidents and absences). Data from 25 outdoor work crew divisions of a large utility company suggest that a quality climate and climate of cooperation are associated with lower accident and absence rates. There is also evidence that an overall climate measure is related to these outcomes.