THE ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND ORGANIZATIONAL CLIMATE IN TWO SCHOOLS OF NURSING: A COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS.
Contributors: University of Texas at Austin.
Published: 1988
Number of pages: 256
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Education, Administration.; Education, Higher.
Description: The purpose of this comparative study was to describe schools of nursing in terms of their organizational structure and climate and the interrelationship between these factors. Triangulation of methods, including survey, interviews, and field approaches, was used to compare the climate in two schools of nursing that had contrasting structural features. Sixty-nine faculty and administrators participated as subjects.

A theoretical, purposive sampling procedure was used to select the schools of nursing to ensure variance in the structural components of centralization and formalization. Both schools of nursing offered baccalaureate and master's degrees. All faculty and administrators within the school of nursing were invited to participate in completing a demographic questionnaire and a climate tool, Your Work Environment Scale, derived from the Insel and Moos Work Environment Scale (1981). Twenty percent of the survey respondents from each organization were selected to participate in a structured interview with the researcher. Six-day site visits were used to conduct interviews and review selected program documents.

Data analysis consisted of a combination of strategies designed to generate understanding of the school of nursing as an organization. Analysis included a comparison of the two organizations.

Results indicated that the two schools of nursing exhibited characteristics of both the bureaucratic model and the professional model of organizational structure although one organization was more closely aligned with the professional model. Organizational climates differed in the two schools, and the school that structurally resembled the professional model had a more facilitative climate. Significant relationships were identified between organizational structure and the climate dimensions autonomy, work pressure, and control. Differences between the schools were identified on the climate dimensions administrative support, autonomy, work pressure, and control. Administrative support and autonomy were higher in the school with the structure resembling the professional model, and work pressure and control were higher in the school with the structure resembling the bureaucratic model.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 49-06, Section: B, page: 2127.

Thesis (PH.D.)--THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN, 1988.

School code: 0227.