If someone in your office asked you, "What's the weather like outside?" you'd probably look out the window to see if it's cloudy or sunny, look at the trees and signs to determine how strong the wind is blowing, and see what most people are wearing to decide if it's warm. You might even listen to the radio or quickly look up the weather report online to find out the exact temperature and current wind chill.
However, if you wanted to know the state of the internal climate or "organizational climate" in your office, using a thermometer wouldn't be enough. Unfortunately, measuring "work atmosphere" data isn't that easy…
When we talk about organizational atmosphere or climate, we refer to people's perception of their work environment, as a result of the interaction between the individual and the organization. That is, what employees think and feel about the organization in general, their managers, their positions, and the conditions under which they work.
The relationship between productivity and a favorable organizational climate has been demonstrated in numerous studies (for more information, see Hay-McBear, 1993-1995). However, every manager knows that "the most productive work is that which comes from a happy person" (V. Pauchet). Now...how do we know if our employees are "happy" people? How do we measure organizational climate?
1- The measurement methodology is simple in its application although not so much in its assembly (it requires knowledge of statistics, methodology and organizational psychology).
2- It is carried out through surveys, but there is no standardized one; the questions must be adapted to the type of organization requesting it.
3- Questionnaires usually contain between 70 and 100 questions.
4- They can be applied to the entire organization (both SMEs and large corporations) or to a specific area or group within it.
5- The variables or dimensions analyzed vary depending on the needs of each organization, but most are related to the following aspects:
– Satisfaction with the position or task
– Relationship between collaborators and supervisors
– Peer relationships
– Sense of belonging or involvement
- Stake
– Safety and hygiene
– Salaries, compensation, awards, recognition
- Etc.
Companies generally resort to this type of study when symptoms such as rising rates of workplace accidents, absenteeism, production failures—in the case of industries—appear, serious difficulties in the quality of customer service and attention, conflicts between departments, etc. However, it is important to carry them out preventively... only then will we know if we will have to go out tomorrow with an umbrella or sunglasses!
