Measuring organisational climate and employee engagement: Evidence for a 7 Ps model of work practices and outcomes

Abstract

This study presents evidence supporting the psychometric properties of the Voice Climate Survey: an employee opinion survey that measures work practices and outcomes. The tool is tested across 13,729 employees from 1,279 business units representing approximately 1,000 organisations. Exploratory factor analyses, confirmatory factor analyses and internal reliability analyses support 31 lower-order work practices and outcomes that aggregate into seven higherorder work systems broadly covering practices and outcomes such as organisational direction, ethics, resources, involvement, recognition, development, teamwork, wellness, work/life balance, change management, customer satisfaction, job satisfaction, organisational commitment and employees' intention to stay. External validation of the tool is demonstrated by linking scores from the employee survey with independent manager reports of turnover, absenteeism, productivity, health and safety, goal attainment, financial performance, change management, innovation and customer satisfaction.Keywords: Employee opinion survey, individual differences, industrial/organisational psychology, job satisfaction, organisational behaviour, psychological testing and measurement, psychology of work and unemployment, work practices and outcomes Theory and methodology of climate Organisational climate (i.e., employees' evaluation of their work environment including structures, processes and events; Schneider & Snyder, 1975) can be understood as a subset of organisational culture.

Revisiting the Validity and Reliability of the Gallup Workplace Audit in a South African Petrochemical Company

“…Because previous studies (Langford 2009;Havenga et al 2011) confirmed a four-factor solution for the GWA, and a one-factor solution did not make sense, it was decided to specify the four factors. A principal component analysis with a varimax rotation with Kaizer normalisation was used to analyse the factor structure of the GWA.…”

Leadership and Team Values Shape Employee Engagement: Test of a Multilevel Moderated Mediation Model

“…Prior research has shown that the individuals who are high on power distance accept hierarchy and embrace the leader's influence more fully than their low-PD counterparts (Den Hartog et al, 1999;Hofstede, 1980;Schaubroeck et al, 2007). Thus, teams composed of high-PD members provide a favorable climate for transformational leaders to exercise their inspiring influences and foster team members' dedication and engagement (Ehrhart & Klein, 2001;Langford, 2009). …”

“…Organizational members working together on a regular basis come to develop shared values, forming a distinctive "team culture" (Levine & Moreland, 1991;O'Reilly, Chatman, & Caldwell, 1991). This value orientation shapes unique workplace climate, a platform upon which leadership is both exercised and processed (Langford, 2009). Research indicates that the impact of leadership varies appreciably by those workplace norms and values (Den Hartog et al, 1999;Ehrhart & Klein, 2001;Scandura & Dorfman, 2004;Schaubroeck et al, 2007).…”

“…Employee engagement is a multifaceted construct that encompasses not only "cool," cognitive perceptions of satisfaction and commitment but also "warm," affective elements such as excitement, passion, emotional attachment and identity (Harter et al, 2002;Langford, 2009;Macey & Schneider, 2008). Not only are engaged individuals dedicated to working hard but they also enjoy doing so; they willingly pursue goals that are above and beyond prescribed job duties and enthusiastically participate in extra-role activities to maximize their contributions and presence at work (Kahn, 1992).…”

Fluctuating Levels of Personal Role Engagement within the Working Day

“…An individual may have a relatively stable 'average' level of engagement, yet will likely fluctuate significantly around this level across brief periods of time. Support for this proposition is drawn from a number of diary studies based on job demands-resources (JD-R) theory (Sonnentag et al, 2010) that have established an association between a range of factors including social support (Xanthpoulou, Bakker, Heuven, Demerouti, & Schaufeli, 2008), leadership style (Tims, Bakker, & Xanthopoulou, 2011;Xanthopoulou, Bakker, Demerouti, & Schaufeli, 2009), job resources (Breevaart, Bakker, & Demerouti, 2014) and personal resources such as self-efficacy and optimism (Xanthopoulou et al, 2008;2009), and engagement at the between-person level.…”