Organization Climate Self-test

WHAT KIND OF ORGANIZATION?

Organizational Climate Exercise

(Taken from Charles B. Handy, Understanding Organizations. Penguin, 1978, pp. 205-210.)

This self-test will take about 30-40 minutes. It asks you to consider an organization in which you currently work (or one you worked in in the past) and to compare its values and styles of behavior to your own values and beliefs. The test re quires forced-choice ranking. Put ‘1’ against the statement which best represents your own beliefs in the first column, ‘2’ for the next closest, then ‘3’ for the next and ‘4’ for the most uncharacteristic answer. Go back and do the same for the organizat ion you have selected to rank and place your 1-2-3-4 rankings in the second column.

Own Organization’s

Ranking Ranking_____

A good boss is

A.	_____	_____	strong, decisive and firm but fair. He is protective, generous and indulgent to loyal subordinates.
B.	_____	_____	impersonal and correct, avoiding the exercise of his authority for his own advantage. He demands from subordinates only that which is required by the formal system.
C.	_____	_____	egalitarian and influential in matters concerning the task. He uses his authority to obtain the resources needed to get on with the job.
D.	_____	_____	concerned and responsive to the personal needs and values of others. He uses his position to provide satisfying and growth stimulating work opportunities for subordinates.

A good subordinate is

A.	_____	_____	compliant, hard-working and loyal to the interests of his superior.
B.	_____	_____	responsible and reliable, meeting the duties and responsibilities of his job and avoiding actions which surprise or embarrass his superior.
C.	_____	_____	self-motivated to contribute his best to the task and is open with his ideas and suggestions. He is nevertheless willing to give the lead to others when they show greater expertise or ability.
D.	_____	_____	vitally interested in the development of his own potentialities and is open to learning and receiving help. He also respects the needs and values of others and is willing to give help and contribute to their development.

A good member of the organization gives first priority to

A.	_____	_____	the personal demands of the boss.
B.	_____	_____	the duties, responsibilities and requirements of his own role, and the customary standards of personal behavior.
C.	_____	_____	the requirements of the task for skill, ability, energy and material resources.
D.	_____	_____	the personal needs of the individual involved.

People who do well in the organization are

A.	_____	_____	shrewd and competitive with a strong drive for power.
B.	_____	_____	conscientious and responsible with a strong sense of loyalty to the organization.
C.	_____	_____	technically competent and effective, with a strong commitment to getting the job done.
D.	_____	_____	effective and competent in personal relationships, with a strong commitment to the growth and evelopment of people.

The organization treats the individual

A.	_____	_____	as though his time and energy were at the disposal of the persons higher in the hierarchy.
B.	_____	_____	as though his time and energy were available through a contract having rights and responsibilities on both sides.
C.	_____	_____	as a co-worker who has committed his skills and abilities to the common cause.
D.	_____	_____	an interesting and worthwhile person in his own right.

People are controlled and influenced by

A.	_____	_____	the personal exercise of economic and political power (rewards and punishments).
B.	_____	_____	impersonal exercise of economic and political power to enforce procedures and standards of performance.
C.	_____	_____	communication and discussion of task requirements leading to appropriate action motivated by personalcommitment to goal achievement.
D.	_____	_____	intrinsic interest and enjoyment in the activities to be done; and/or concern and caring for the needs of the other persons involved.

It is legitimate for one person to control another’s activities if

A.	_____	_____	he/she has more authority and power in the organization.
B.	_____	_____	his/her role prescribes that he/she is responsible for directing the other.
C.	_____	_____	he/she has more knowledge relevant to the task at hand.
D.	_____	_____	the other accepts that the first person’s help or instruction can contribute to the other’s learning and growth.

The basis of task assignment is

A.	_____	_____	the personal needs and judgment of those in authority.
B.	_____	_____	the formal divisions of functions and responsibility in the system.
C.	_____	_____	the resource and expertise requirements of the job to be done.
D.	_____	_____	the personal wishes and needs for learning and growth of the individual organization members.

Work is performed out of

A.	_____	_____	hope of reward, fear of punishment or personal loyalty towards a powerful individual.
B.	_____	_____	a respect for contractual obligations backed up by sanctions and personal loyalty towards the organization or system.
C.	_____	_____	satisfaction in excellence of work and achievement and/or personal commitment to the task or goal.
D.	_____	_____	enjoyment of the activity for its own sake and concern and respect for the needs and values of the other persons involved.

People work together when

A.	_____	_____	they are required to by higher authority or believe they can use each other for personal advantage.
B.	_____	_____	co-ordination and exchange are specified by the formal system.
C.	_____	_____	their joint contribution is needed to progress the task.
D.	_____	_____	the collaboration is personally satisfying, stimulating or challenging.

Competition is for

A.	_____	_____	personal power and advantages.
B.	_____	_____	high status position in the formal system.
C.	_____	_____	excellence of contribution to the task.
D.	_____	_____	attention to one’s own personal needs.

Conflict is

A.	_____	_____	controlled by the intervention of higher authority and often fostered by them to maintain their own power.
B.	_____	_____	suppressed by reference to rules, procedures and definitions of responsibility.
C.	_____	_____	resolved through full discussion of the merits of the work issues involved.
D.	_____	_____	resolved by open and deep discussion of personal needs and values involved.

Decisions are made by

A.	_____	_____	the person with the higher power and authority.
B.	_____	_____	the person whose job description carries the responsibility.
C.	_____	_____	the persons with most knowledge and expertise about the problem.
D.	_____	_____	the persons most personally involved and affected by the outcome.

The appropriate control and communication structure can be described as

A.	_____	_____	Command flows from the top down in a simple pyramid so that anyone who is higher in the pyramid has authority over anyone who is lower. Information flows up through the chain of command
B.	_____	_____	Directives flow from the top down and information flows upward within functional pyramids which meet at the top. The authority and responsibility of a role is limited to the roles beneath it in its own pyramid. Cross-functional exchange is constrict ed.
C.	_____	_____	Information about task requirements and problems flows from the center of task activity upwards and outward, with those closest to the task determining resources and support needed from the rest of the organization. A coordinating function may set pri orities and overall resource levels based on information from all task centers. The structure should shift with the nature and location of the tasks.
D.	_____	_____	Information and influence flow from person to person, based on relationships which are voluntarily entered into for purposes of work, learning, mutual support and enjoyment, and shared values. A coordinating function may establish overall levels of con tribution needed for maintenance of the organization. These tasks are assigned by mutual agreement.

The environment is responded to as though it were

A.	_____	_____	a competitive jungle in which all are against all and those who do not exploit others are themselves exploited.
B.	_____	_____	an orderly and rational system in which competition is limited by law and conflicts yield to negotiation and compromise.
C.	_____	_____	a complex of imperfect forms and systems which are to be reshaped and improved by the achievements of the organization.
D.	_____	_____	a complex of potential threats and support. It is to be manipulated by the organization to extract nourishment from it, pull its teeth and use it as a play and workspace for the enjoyment and growth of members.

When you have completed the test, go back and add up the scores for the first statement under each heading (all the A answers), then add up the scores for the second statement (all the B answwers), and so on, (e.g., a score of 15 for the first statement (A answer) would mean that it ranked top in all categories. Complete the scoring for your own rankings and then for the organization you have selected.

Enter your scores in the following table:

	Score for A Answers	Score for B Answers	Score for C Answers	Score for D Answers
Self
Organization

The four sets of statements describe four cultures -- power, role, task and person (in A, B, C, D order). Whichever answers receive the lowest score for self suggest that is your preferred culture; whichever answers receive the lowest score for the organization suggest that it its dominant culture.

A perfect match between an individual's preferences and his/her organization's cultures would suggest a prefectly fitting psychological contract. Most people will not have a perfect match.