Empirically Supported Treatment’s Impact on Organizational Culture and Climate

Abstract

Objectives With the continued push to implement empirically supported treatments (ESTs) into community-based organizations, it is important to investigate whether working condition disruptions occur during this process. While there are many studies investigating best practices and how to adopt them, the literature lacks studies investigating the working conditions in programs that currently use ESTs. Method This study compared the culture and climate scores of a large organization’s programs that use ESTs and those programs indicating no EST usage. Results Of the total 55 different programs (1,273 frontline workers), 27 programs used ESTs. Results indicate that the programs offering an EST had significantly more rigid and resistant cultures, compared to those without any ESTs. In regard to climate, programs offering an EST were significantly less engaged, less functional, and more stressed. Conclusion Outcomes indicate a significant disruption in organizational culture and climate for programs offering ESTs.

What Are the Ideal Characteristics of Empirically Supported Treatment Adopters?

“…Social workers have made a substantial shift in the clinical services they provide toward the implementation of empirically supported treatments (ESTs; Patterson, Dulmus, & Maguin, 2012). One of the main reasons that social workers have successfully incorporated ESTs into their practices is the surplus of studies linking clients’ improved health outcomes and the general attitude that treatments should be based in scientific evidence (Institute of Medicine, 2001; Sackett & Haynes, 1995).…”

“…Organizational-level studies have produced some interesting findings, particularly the factors associated with the culture and climate of an organization. For instance, organizational literature indicates that workplace environment shapes decisions about implementing ESTs (Hemmelgarn, Glisson, & James, 2006; Patterson et al, 2012). Early dissemination and implementation literature (Rogers, 1995; Nadler & Tushman, 1997; Rousseau, 1997) revealed that any successful adoption of new technology is a social method as much as a technical method.…”

“…Hemmelgarn and colleagues reported that an organization’s social context can result in the organization managing problems differently and can affect what types of interventions the organization selects and how it implements these procedures. Similarly, the sway of an organization’s social context on the choice, method, and everyday implementation of an intervention could alter its overall clinical effectiveness and impact on workplace environment (Aarons, 2004, 2005; Burns & Hoagwood, 2005; Hemmelgarn et al; Patterson et al, 2012). …”

Study of the Relationship between Organizational Climate and Nurses' Performance: A University Hospital Case

“…Conversely, nurses who perceive their work environments as being supportive and friendly are more likely to exhibit positive behaviors and good performance [11]. Furthermore, Ghasemi and Keshavarzi [12] added that a suitable organizational climate leads to innovation and inspiration in the organization and has a positive role in reaching organizational objectives.…”

Creating Good Citizen through Company Ethical Values

“…Social identity theory explains that the sustainability of an organisation has unique values that can be used as a signal for the employees to improve their work engagement. Various studies concluded that organisational climate influences innovative behavior, organisational citizenship behavior, counterproductive behavior and even negative behavior (Bellou & Andronikidis 2009;Scheuer 2010;Wolf et al 2012).…”