Organizational climate and workplace culture

Org Climate

Joshua Levine is a project manager for Brockton Oval Enterprises, a leading provider of sports equipment and technology. Brockton Oval Enterprises is a large company with a total staff of about six hundred employees. The company is currently at a mature growth phase, a critical point in its organizational life cycle. An interview with Levine based on the organizational culture questionnaire revealed valuable information that can help Brockton Oval embrace change and further growth.

The overall personality of Brockton Oval Enterprises can be described as "traditional" and "moderately conservative," noted Levine. On the conformity scale, Levine marked his organization a 4 out of 10. Conformity is important to Brockton Oval, and senior managers do not actively encourage radical new ideas and creativity. At the same time, the organizational climate allows for some flexibility with regards to how Levine and other managers run their departments. In fact, Levine noted that he and other project managers are entrusted with a high degree of responsibility in the organization. Supervisors are consulted with on a weekly basis, and do not "watch over us like hawks," as Levine put it.

Brockton Oval Enterprises has consistently set high standards for its performance, which is why the company is a local leader in its field. However, recent complacency has led to a slight lag. New standards have not been set in a long time, and Levine notes that he and many of his colleagues have pushed for a renewed evaluation of the marketplace and the challenges to success. Organizational clarity has also suffered for the same reason, as younger members of the company like Levine are challenging the status quo and introducing new ideas.

Levine noted that one of the defining features of the company, and the main reason he enjoys working for Brockton Oval, is that warmth and support levels are high. The organizational climate is a friendly one, albeit a traditional one. Supervisors treat their employees with respect, parties are held regularly, and when managers like Levine initiate new projects their ideas are treated as valuable to the organization. Coworkers are friends and sometimes socialize outside of work.

In spite of the warmth of the overall environment, leadership is somewhat lacking at Brockton Oval Enterprises. Managers like Levine are rewarded for their commitment and contribution, especially as productivity levels are maintained. The problem, according to Levine, is that senior leaders rarely implement the ideas that are brought up by the younger members. Newcomers are welcomed warmly but are expected to conform to company traditions and standards. Thus, senior management listens with respect but do not follow through. This has not caused interpersonal conflicts but has prevented the company from growing as fast as it could have during this time.