Organizational Climate

West, Michael A. and Lyubovnikova, Joanne (2015) Organizational Climate. In: International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences: Second Edition. Elsevier Inc., pp. 322-326. ISBN 9780080970868

Abstract

This article examines the concept of organizational climate and its metaphorical derivation. It begins by defining what is meant by the construct and the specific conceptual challenges that researchers face in trying to agree upon a single definition. Different statistical functions of organizational climate scores which have recently emerged in the literature are outlined using examples from relevant research findings. Empirical research into global and facet-specific organizational climate is then described. Given the plethora of facet-specific climate studies which have emerged in the literature over the past decade, the article concludes with a call for a more unified theoretical and methodological approach when conducting future research on organizational climate.