Organizational culture and its relationship with employee stress, productivity, and enjoyment of work

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore which type/s of organizational culture are most closely related to employee levels of work-related stress, self-perceived productivity, and enjoyment of work, and whether there are gender differences. A secondary research interest was to identify the dominant culture type at the studied university. Staff members completed an online survey containing questions on organizational culture, stress, productivity, enjoyment of work, and demographics. Analyses revealed that the hierarchy culture was most prevalent at the institution.Multivariate analyses showed that the type of organizational culture was significantly related to stress, productivity, and enjoyment of work. Employees working in a clan culture reported the lowest levels of stress, and highest levels of productivity and enjoyment, followed by those in the adhocracy and hierarchy cultures, then the market culture. No gender effects emerged. These findings add insight to the limited literature on organizational culture in Canadian workplace settings.ii