COMPARISON OF ORGANIZATIONAL SUBCULTURES IN TWO HOSPITALS (JOB SATISFACTION, NURSE MANAGERS).
Contributors: University Of Illinois At Chicago, Health Sciences Center.
Published: 1993
Number of pages: 256
Subjects: Health Sciences, Nursing.; Business Administration, Management.; Psychology, Industrial.
Description: The concept of organizational culture has been defined in many ways throughout the literature. Two aspects of organizational culture that have been frequently cited include perceived behavioral norms and expectations, and espoused beliefs and values. These two aspects were assessed in two dissimilar hospital settings. One was a large non-profit institution. The other was a large for-profit hospital which was part of a national chain.

Perceived behavioral norms and expectations were statistically correlated to a quantitative measure of job satisfaction. In each hospital, study groups consisted of nursing personnel on three patient care units and then the corresponding nurse managers at two successive hierarchical levels within the organization.

The perceived behavioral norms and expectations were measured quantitatively by the Organizational Culture Inventory. The espoused beliefs and values were assessed by means of focus group interviews guided by a written list of guide words relative to organizational culture. Job satisfaction was assessed by means of the Index of Work Satisfaction questionnaire.

Findings revealed that there were differences in subcultures both horizontally across the patient care units and vertically throughout the hierarchy both in terms of perceived behavioral norms and expectations, and espoused beliefs and values. There were little data supporting worker identity with a group larger than the work group of each participant. These findings substantiate an argument that a study of organizational culture is appropriately conducted at the subgroup level of an organization.

Statistically significant correlations were identified between the perceived behavioral norms and expectations and components of the work satisfaction instrument. The sample size was modest and findings are relevant to these groups only.
Notes: Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 55-02, Section: B, page: 0372.

Thesis (PH.D.)--UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO, HEALTH SCIENCES CENTER, 1993.

School code: 0806.