Organizational Climate Index

Abstract

The Organizational Climate Index (OCI) is a psychological instrument developed by George Stern and his associates in the 1970s. It forms part of a larger set of indices (including the CCI, AI, and HSCI) designed to measure the congruence between individual personality needs and the psychological characteristics, or environmental press, of an organization. Specifically, the OCI focuses on characterizing the psychological climate of diverse organizational settings. It is theoretically grounded in the 30 Need-Press scales model proposed by H. A. Murray, which posits that behavior is a function of the interaction between the individual and the organization. The OCI is utilized to assess organizational members’ private interpretations of events, known as beta press, and when aggregated, their shared interpretation, or consensual beta press.

Keywords

Organizational Climate Index, OCI, George Stern, H. A. Murray, Organizational climate, Environmental press, Need-Press theory, Beta press, Consensual beta press, Organizational psychology, Industrial psychology.

Authors

George G. Stern, and associates.

Purpose

The primary purpose of the OCI is to provide a comprehensive measure of the psychological character of an organizational environment, often referred to as organizational climate. It serves as a general instrument applicable across a wide variety of organizational types, including educational institutions and industrial settings.

The scale was developed as part of a broader theoretical framework aiming to quantify the relationship between individual personality and environmental forces. Specifically, the OCI measures how the organization’s structure and culture—the environmental press—facilitates or obstructs the expression of individual needs, thereby influencing overall behavior and effectiveness.

Construct

The OCI measures the psychological construct of Environmental Press, derived from the Need-Press scales model of H. A. Murray. Stern defined individual needs as the internal tendencies that give unity and direction to behavior, while press describes the external conditions (organizational environment) that either facilitate or impede the expression of those needs.

The instrument specifically differentiates between two types of press interpretations: Beta Press, which is the private, subjective interpretation an individual places on organizational events; and Consensual Beta Press, which is the shared interpretation derived from calculating group mean scores, reflecting a common organizational ideology among members.

Validity

Primary evidence supporting the validity of the OCI is demonstrated through significant differences observed among the average press scores when comparing distinct organizational settings. This suggests the instrument is sensitive enough to differentiate the psychological climate across varied contexts.

Further validity is established by examining correlations between the OCI factors or profiles generated from the scale and various external criteria relevant to organizational outcomes and member behavior.

Reliability

Reliability of the OCI is typically assessed using KR-20 estimates (Kuder–Richardson Formula 20) to determine internal consistency. In one major assessment involving 931 public school teachers, the KR-20 estimates for the 30 press scales exhibited a wide range, spanning from 0.23 to 0.87.

The presence of lower reliability estimates (e.g., 0.23) suggests that certain individual scales within the OCI should be interpreted with caution. Low internal consistency can potentially lead to an attenuation of relationships in research, meaning the true correlation between the scale and other variables may be underestimated.

Factor Analysis

The scale structure was empirically investigated using a principal component analysis coupled with an equimax rotation. This analysis resulted in a clear hierarchical structure characterized by both first-order and second-order factors.

The analysis yielded two overarching second-order factors:

• Development Press
• Control Press

Additionally, the analysis identified six specific first-order factors:

• Intellectual Climate
• Supportiveness
• Orderliness
• Achievement Standards
• Practicalness
• Impulse Control

Instrument

Test Type: Self-report questionnaire / Psychological Index

Format: The OCI exists in two forms. The long form consists of 300 items (10 items for each of Murray’s 30 need-press scales). The widely used short form, presented in this entry, contains 80 items. Responses are scored dichotomously (True/False).

Language Available: English (Original development language).

Population Group: Organizational members (Employees, Faculty, Staff).

Age Group: Adults (or individuals within organizational and educational settings, typically 18+).

Population Details: The instrument was originally developed with college students and teachers in five public schools in upstate New York. It has been used extensively in research across various organizational and educational contexts since the late 1950s.

Test Methodology: Respondents indicate whether each statement is generally True (T) or False (F) regarding the organization. A True response indicates the statement is characteristic of the organization or reflects how people tend to feel or act. A False response indicates the statement is not characteristic or unlikely to occur.

Keywords

Psychometric scale, Educational environment, Work climate, Need-Press model, Equimax rotation, Development Press, Control Press, Organizational assessment.

Authors

Author ORCID Identifier: N/A

Affiliation Email addresses: N/A

Correspondence Address: N/A

Permissions & Fee and Test Year

Test Year: 1970 (Primary publication year)

Permissions & Fee: Information regarding current commercial permissions and associated fees is not provided in the source material. Researchers should consult the original publishers or George Stern’s estate for usage rights.

Reference’s

The following references are associated with the development and subsequent research application of the Organizational Climate Index:

• Frothingham, E. M. (1988). Teacher collegiality: Its relationship to professionalism and organizational climate in public and private schools. PhD dissertation, New York University.
• Meyer, D. E. (1988). The relationship of organizational climate to burnout among faculty in selected community colleges in the Midwest. EdD dissertation, Oklahoma State University.
• Smith, L. D. (2009). School climate and teacher commitment. EdD dissertation, University of Alabama.
• Stern, G. G. (1970). People in context: Measuring person-environment congruence in education and industry. New York: Wiley.
• Stern, G. G., et al. (1970). The Organizational Climate Index. Syracuse, NY: Evaluation Research Association.
• Taylor, J., and Bowers, D. G. (1972). The Survey of Organizations: A machine scored standardized questionnaire instrument. Ann Arbor, MI: Institute for Social Research.
• Watts, C. D. (2009). Technology leadership, school climate, and technology integration: A correlation study in K–12 public schools. EdD dissertation, University of Alabama.

Items of the Organizational Climate Index

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

The following are the 80 items constituting the Organizational Climate Index (Short Form):

1. Work programs are well organized and progress systematically from week to week.
2. People here express their feelings openly and enthusiastically.
3. Everyone here has a strong sense of being a member of the team.
4. There is a lot of group spirit.
5. Administrative policy, goals, and objectives are carefully explained to everyone.
6. When people here disagree with an administrative decision, they work to get it changed.
7. People here put a great deal of energy into everything they do.
8. Improving one’s knowledge of important works of art, music, and drama is encouraged here.
9. One of the values most stressed here is open-mindedness.
10. Social events get a lot of enthusiasm and support.
11. People who have friends of the opposite sex show their affection openly.
12. People find others eager to help them get started.
13. People here spend a great deal of time thinking about and discussing complex problems.
14. The ability to plan ahead is highly valued here.
15. Many social activities are unplanned and spontaneous.
16. People are expected to have a great deal of social grace and polish.
17. Untidy reports or ones that depart from a specified style are almost certain to be returned unaccepted.
18. Most people here go to lots of parties and other social activities.
19. There are many facilities and opportunities for individual creative activity.
20. Most people here love to dance.
21. Personality and pull are more important than competence in getting ahead around here.
22. The administrative staff are often joked about or criticized.
23. Most activities here are planned carefully.
24. People here speak up openly and freely.
25. People here are not only expected to have ideas but to do something about them.
26. Good manners and making a good impression are important here.
27. The activities of charities and social agencies are strongly supported.
28. Criticism is taken as a personal affront in this organization.
29. Neatness in this place is the rule rather than the exception.
30. Male-female relationships sometimes become quite serious.
31. Many people here enjoy talking about poetry, philosophy, or religion.
32. Everyone is helped to get acquainted.
33. All work assignments are laid out well in advance, so that people can plan their own schedules accordingly.
34. People here thrive on difficulty—the tougher things get, the harder everyone works.
35. Individuals who are not properly groomed are likely to have this called to their attention.
36. Service to the community is regarded as a major responsibility of the institution.
37. People here are not really concerned with deep philosophical or ethical matters.
38. Good work is really recognized around here.
39. Work is checked to see if it is done properly and on time.
40. Administrators are practical and efficient in the way they dispatch their business.
41. There are no favorites in this place; everyone gets treated alike.
42. People here can get so absorbed in their work they often lose all sense of time or personal comfort.
43. People frequently do things on the spur of the moment.
44. Proper social forms and manners are not particularly important here.
45. Few people here are challenged by deep thinking.
46. People set high standards of achievement for themselves here.
47. New ideas are always being tried here.
48. People here tend to take the easy way out when things get tough.
49. Administrators put a lot of energy and enthusiasm into directing this program.
50. People here talk about their future imaginatively and with enthusiasm.
51. There is a general idea of appropriate dress which everyone follows.
52. There always seem to be a lot of little quarrels going on here.
53. It’s easy to get a group together for games, soda, movies, etc.
54. The work atmosphere emphasizes efficiency and usefulness.
55. People spend a great deal of time together socially.
56. There is not wasted time here; everything has been planned right to the minute.
57. Discussions about improving society are common here.
58. Unusual or exciting plans are encouraged here.
59. People here feel free to express themselves impulsively.
60. People here expect to help out with fund drives, CARE, Red Cross, etc.
61. There is a specific place for everything and everyone here.
62. People here often get involved in long, serious intellectual discussions.
63. The administrative staff will go out of its way to help you with your work.
64. Many people here read magazines and books involving history, economics, or political science.
65. Looking and acting “right” is expected.
66. The people here are easily moved by the misfortunes or distress of others.
67. Everyone has the same opportunity to make good.
68. Communications within the organization is always carried on through formal channels.
69. Most activities here present a real personal challenge.
70. People ask permission before deviating from common policies or practices.
71. There is a recognized group of leaders who receive special privileges.
72. People here feel they must really work hard because of the important nature of their work.
73. Parties are colorful and lively here.
74. Programs here are quickly changed to meet new conditions.
75. People are always carefully dressed and neatly groomed.
76. “Lending a helping hand” could very well be the motto of this place.
77. There is considerable interest in the analysis of value systems and the relativity of societies and ethics.
78. There is a lot of interest in the philosophy and goals of science here.
79. Frank discussions about sec are not uncommon among people here.
80. People here are usually quick to help each other out.