The cross‐level effects of culture and climate in human service teams

TLDR

Few empirical studies have examined both culture and climate together in child welfare and juvenile justice case management teams, and this two-level study addresses construct, measurement, and composition issues that plague multilevel research on these organizational constructs. The authors used confirmatory factor analysis, within-group consistency, between-group differences, and hierarchical linear models to show that climate and culture are separate constructs varying by unit and related to work attitudes, perceptions, and behavior. Team-level culture and climate are linked to individual job satisfaction, commitment, service quality perceptions, and turnover, confirming that they are distinct constructs that vary by unit. © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Abstract

Abstract This two‐level study of child welfare and juvenile justice case management teams addresses construct, measurement, and composition issues that plague multilevel research on organizational culture and climate. Very few empirical studies have examined both culture and climate simultaneously, and none have provided evidence that culture and climate are distinct or similar constructs. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), within‐group consistency analysis (r wg ), between‐group differences (ICC and eta‐squared), and hierarchical linear models (HLM) analysis provide evidence that climate and culture are separate constructs that vary by organizational unit, and are related to work attitudes, perceptions, and behavior. Findings link team‐level culture and climate to individual‐level job satisfaction and commitment, perceptions of service quality, and turnover. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.