He Organizational Climate It is a concept that refers to several aspects, including the characteristics of the work environment and how these characteristics are perceived directly or indirectly by the organization's employees; and therefore, they have consequences for work behavior.
In the workplace, the way people are treated will have a significant impact on an organization's competitive advantage. Numerous studies have shown that companies with better human resources practices produce higher returns than their peers. When you invest in your people, you invest in the success of your organization.
The supplement “Clarín Económico” announced the ranking of the 60 best companies to work for in Argentina according to their work environment.
In the aforementioned survey, more than 50 questions were asked to 25,000 people from various positions in each company. The survey evaluated camaraderie, opportunities for training, flexible scheduling, dialogue, handling of favoritism, and promotion management, among other characteristics. Among the top-ranked companies, for example, was Natura Cosmetics, a company that promotes and encourages a warm and informal work environment.
Beyond specific cases, it's worth noting that the company should not be perceived as an agent whose function is to satisfy every individual need or punish every mistake, as this positions employees as passive recipients, incapable of proposing innovative ideas and lacking any autonomy in their work. Nothing could be further from what we are trying to foster today: self-control, which requires, among other things, that employees clearly perceive the reciprocity that affects the bond and the exchange of contributions that takes place between the different parts of the organization.
How do we achieve balance between the factors that influence the work environment?
A workplace climate survey should gather the opinions of everyone within the organization, whether through multiple-choice tools, group meetings, or anonymous forms or emails, which will streamline the process. Regardless of the method, the respondent's anonymity must be guaranteed, and feedback on the survey results must be provided, accompanied by improvement actions that each respondent will have the opportunity to propose.
When conducting a work environment survey, we must consider people's perceptions of at least the following dimensions that influence it:
» Responsibility: is the degree to which individuals perceive that authority is delegated to them and the extent to which they feel that responsibility for the outcome lies with their work.
» Flexibility: This is how people perceive restrictions or flexibility in the organization—that is, the extent to which rules, policies, procedures, or practices are unnecessary or interfere with work execution. It also, in part, reflects the extent to which new ideas are accepted.
» Rewards: This is how individuals feel they are valued, recognized, and rewarded for good work and performance.
» Clarity: The perception people have of how clearly goals, procedures, and organizational structures are defined, so that everyone knows what their tasks are and how these relate to achieving the organization's objectives.
» Team spirit: This dimension reflects the degree to which people feel proud to be part of the organization and perceive that everyone is working toward a common goal.
While work behavior will be influenced by employees' perceptions of these dimensions, it is important to interrelate these dimensions with an axis that represents the "agents" that affect the climate, such as the nature of the work, the leader's attitude, and the organization's structure.
Thus, managing the organizational climate involves taking into account all of these variables that determine its balance. But as a starting point, management must be deeply committed to improving organizational management, taking productivity, people's motivation, and the organization's predominant leadership style as a benchmark. A people-centered strategy can be a source of success, provided that management doesn't view its staff exclusively as a cost and believe that technology is its only salvation. Let's keep in mind that if people work happily, they will not only provide better service but will also be more motivated and perform better, resulting in greater benefits for everyone.
Magdalena Busso
Bachelor of Institutional Communication
Source on work environment survey: Clarín Economic Supplement.
