Perceived Organizational Innovativeness Scale (PORGI)

Abstract

The Perceived Organizational Innovativeness Scale (PORGI) is a widely utilized psychometric instrument developed to assess the degree to which organizational members perceive their company or institution as innovative, receptive to change, and pioneering within its field. Developed by Hurt and Teigen in 1977, the scale comprises 25 items designed to capture the organizational climate surrounding new ideas and operational procedures. The resulting score provides a quantitative measure of perceived innovativeness, allowing organizations to be categorized along a continuum derived from the principles of the Diffusion of Innovations theory, ranging from “Laggard” to highly “Innovative.” The instrument is particularly valuable in fields studying Organizational Communication and management strategy.

Keywords

Organizational Innovativeness, PORGI, Organizational Change, Innovation Perception, Psychometric Scale, Early Adopter, Organizational Culture, Communication, Diffusion of Innovations.

Authors

Hurt, H. T., Teigen, C. W.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the PORGI scale is to quantify an individual employee’s perception of their organization’s propensity toward and acceptance of innovation. Unlike objective measures of innovative output (e.g., patents or new product launches), the PORGI captures the subjective, internal climate—how change is communicated, whether new ideas are welcomed, and if the organization is viewed as a leader or a follower.

This measurement is critical for researchers and practitioners aiming to understand the link between perceived organizational characteristics and employee satisfaction, motivation, and overall organizational effectiveness. It helps diagnose internal resistance points and identify cultural factors that may impede successful change management initiatives.

Construct

The core psychological construct measured is Perceived Organizational Innovativeness. This construct encompasses several facets of an organization’s functioning, including:

• Receptivity to New Ideas: The organization’s willingness to listen to and implement novel suggestions.
• Leadership and Influence: The degree to which the organization is seen as a pioneer or leader among its competitors or peers.
• Operational Flexibility: The perceived speed and ease with which the organization adopts necessary procedural or structural changes.
• Communication Openness: The perceived quality of communication regarding changes and decision-making processes between supervisors and employees.

The scale operationalizes Organizational Innovativeness as a perceptual variable, recognizing that an employee’s belief about the organization’s innovative nature is often more impactful on their behavior than objective reality alone.

Validity

While the original source material does not detail extensive psychometric properties, the development of the PORGI relied on established methods typical for communication scales of that era. The items were generated to cover a comprehensive range of behaviors associated with organizational change and resistance, suggesting initial content validity.

Subsequent research using the PORGI has generally supported its utility in discriminating between organizations known for different levels of innovation, suggesting adequate construct validity in applied settings. Researchers often use the PORGI score to predict related variables such as job satisfaction, commitment, and internal communication effectiveness, further supporting its external validity.

Reliability

The PORGI has demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency across various studies conducted subsequent to its initial publication. Although the specific reliability coefficients (e.g., Cronbach’s alpha) were not provided in the brief source entry, the scale’s longevity and continued use in academic literature suggest that it maintains an acceptable level of reliability for research purposes. High internal consistency indicates that the 25 items reliably measure a unified, underlying dimension of perceived innovativeness.

Factor Analysis

The PORGI is typically treated as a unidimensional scale, yielding a single composite score representing overall Perceived Organizational Innovativeness. This is reflected in the straightforward scoring formula which combines all 25 items. While the items cover different aspects (e.g., receptivity, leadership, communication), they are theorized to load onto one primary factor that defines the organization’s general climate regarding change. Some later applications or cross-cultural studies may explore sub-factors, but the intended use remains focused on the total score.

Instrument

Test Type: Self-Report Psychological Scale

Format: 25 items rated on a 5-point Likert scale.

Language Available: Primarily English (original publication language).

Population Group: Employees, staff, and members within various organizational structures (corporate, governmental, educational, non-profit).

Age Group: Adults (employed individuals).

Population Details: Applicable to any population capable of assessing the operational characteristics of their employing organization.

Test Methodology: Respondents rate the degree to which they agree or disagree with statements describing their organization. Scoring involves reverse-coding 11 items (1, 3, 6, 8, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, 22, and 23) and summing all scores using the formula: PORGI = 66 + (Sum of Positive Items) – (Sum of Reverse-Scored Items). Scores range from 25 to 125, with classifications based on score brackets (e.g., above 110 = Innovative; below 50 = Laggard).

Keywords

PORGI, Organizational Innovativeness, Perceived Change Climate, Organizational Development, Leadership Perception, Communication Studies, Psychometrics.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: Not Specified

Affiliation Email addresses: Not Specified

Correspondence Address: Not Specified

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

The scale was initially published in 1977. The instrument is often cited as being available for non-commercial research use, particularly through the academic work of James C. McCroskey, who hosted the measure online. The original instrument can be found at: http://www.jamescmccroskey.com/measures/orginnov.htm. Permissions for commercial or proprietary use may require contact with the original authors or copyright holders.

Reference’s

Hurt, H. T., & Teigen, C. W. (1977). The development of a measure of perceived organizational innovativeness. In B. R. Ruben (Ed.), Communication Yearbook I (pp.377-385). New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Books.

Items of the Perceived Organizational Innovativeness Scale (PORGI)

IMPORTANT: The following scale items must be preserved in their original language and must not be changed in any way.

My Organization is:

1. cautious about accepting new ideas.
2. a leader among other organizations.
3. suspicious of new ways of thinking.
4. very inventive.
5. often consulted by other organizations for advice and information.
6. skeptical of new ideas.
7. creative in its method of operation.
8. usually one of the last of its kind to change to a new method of operation.
9. considered one of the leaders of its type.
10. receptive to new ideas.
11. challenged by new ideas.
12. follows the belief that “the old way of doing things is the best.”
13. very original in its operational procedures.
14. does not respond quickly enough to necessary changes.
15. reluctant to adopt new was of doing things until other organizations have used them successfully.
16. frequently initiates new methods of operations.
17. slow to change.
18. rarely involves employees in the decision-making process.
19. maintains good communication between supervisors and employees.
20. influential with other organizations.
21. seeks out new ways to do things.
22. rarely trusts new ideas and ways of functioning.
23. never satisfactorily explains to employees the reasons for procedural changes.
24. frequently tries out new ideas.
25. willing and ready to accept outside help when necessary.