Organizational climate definition: Everything you need to know

To understand what the organizational climate definition is we should begin by reading an interpretation from one of the most respected authors on Human Resources, Professor Idalberto Chiavenato:

“A set of measurable properties of the perceived work environment, directly or indirectly, created by individuals who live and work in this environment and that influences the motivation and behavior of these people.”

In this definition of organizational climate, we can note two striking features:

1. The organizational climate is a concept “perceived” by employees. Importantly, it is dependent on a value judgment which can vary greatly from person to person.
2. The organizational climate affects productivity, motivation and employee behavior.

Besides these two factors, it is interesting to note some others to understand fully what the organizational climate definition is.

An Organizational climate definition: What are the main features?

• It is a perception of the work environment.
• It is a “psychological atmosphere.”
• It is a quick picture of the relationship between the organization and its employees.
• It is a set of properties that can be measured by the correct instruments.
• It is related to the quality and suitability of the work environment.
• It has to do with the support that employees feel they receive from the organization.
• The organizational structure strongly influences the organizational climate.
• The organizational climate is a reflection of the degree of employee motivation.
• It has positive and negative effects on people’s behavior in the workplace.

When analyzing all of these features, the importance of maintaining a good organizational climate in the company is clear. However, how do you achieve this result? What do you need to do to ensure this?

Usually, the first step towards the improvement of the organizational climate is to do a “climate survey.” After all, isn’t an organizational climate just your employees’ perception? For this reason, only with a survey can you understand what they perceive to be as positive or negative in the workplace.

However, some factors are recurrent and should be the subject of attention of anyone who is interested in maintaining a good organizational climate in your company.

Let’s talk about some of them, but remember: only a climate survey can properly detail the perception of employees on these aspects.

See also: Read about 25 sample Organizational climate survey questions here.

Key Points for Creating a Great Organizational Climate

Now that you understand more about what the organizational climate definition is, it will be easy to see why it is important to pay attention to the following aspects within a company:

It is important to find out what factors have motivated or unmotivated employees

Sometimes simple actions have reactions far beyond what you think and can be an organizational climate degradation factor as much as a factor of improvement. For example, the desire to reduce costs, it is common for some companies to cut the coffee supply. However, often these 5 small minutes the groups spend chatting in the cafe between one task and another encourages integration and stress relief, and when lost, suddenly becomes an adverse effect on the climate of the organization.

Team spirit and unity of the group

It is a crucial factor. Be sure always to have a united team that takes pleasure in achieving common goals. One way to achieve this is through targets and clear and attainable goals. Also, it is always essential to give feedback on the results of initiatives and projects in progress, as well as recognize the performance of those who stand out.

See also: Definition of 25 organizational climate survey questions.

Publicize the mission, vision, and values of the company

Do the employees know what the strategic objectives of the organization are? Imagine how demotivating it could be not knowing exactly what it is your work and daily efforts are for and if they contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the company as a whole.

Keep your employees informed of the reason for the company, where it wants to go and what personal and corporate values it cherishes and encourages.

How is the delegation of tasks perceived?

It is a point that causes many conflicts, especially when working with competitive and motivated teams. And all of this motivation can be lost if employees do not understand the criteria used to choose who will take on the most important tasks, the most challenging projects or the most profitable accounts.

Make sure that the teams believe in the competence of its leaders

It has almost certainly happened at some point in your career: all employees under a particular director or manager consider them to be unfit to hold the position and only there because they are lucky, have contacts or are charming. Whether this is true for you or not, the organizational climate is a “perception” and when this happens in your organization you need to do something to change it.

As noted, what is a healthy and pleasant organizational climate for some employees, may not be for others. That is why we insist on the importance of conducting climate surveys.

To successfully manage this and other challenges of Human Resources, an agile and transparent BPM system can be of great help.

See also: What is Human-centric BPM? Find out here.

Also, find out about Human Resource processes and their applicability to your organization here