Four recent factor analytic studies of the Litwin and Stringer Organizational Climate Questionnaire (LSOCQ) are compared to assess the consistency of the instrument's factor structure when administered to different organizational populations. In addition, separate factor analytic results of the LSOCQ for three functional subgroups of a single organization are compared to investigate the LSOCQ's factor consistency within a single organization. Although there is somewhat more intrathan interorganizational replicability of factors, both comparisons raise considerable doubt about the validity of the Litwin and Stringer instrument.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Biggs, W. D., Miles, W. G., & Rogers, E. D.A comparison of factor analytic studies of the Litwin and Stringer organizational climate questionnaire. Proceedings of the Eastern Academy of Management Meeting1977, pp. 20-24.
2.
Campbell, J., Dunnette, M. D., Lawler, E. E., & Weick, K. E.Managerial behavior, performance, and effectiveness. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1970.
3.
Downey, H. K., Hellriegel, D., Phelps, M., & Slocum, J. W.Organizational climate and job satisfaction: A comparative analysis. Journal of Business Research1974,2,233-248.
4.
Gorsuch, R. L.Factor analysis. Philadelphia: W. P. Saunders, 1974.
5.
Hellriegel, D., & Slocum, J. W., Jr.Organizational climate: Measures, research and contingencies. Academy of Management Journal1974, 17, 255-280.
6.
James, L. R., & Jones, A. P.Organizational climate: A review of theory and research, Psychological Bulletin1974, 81, 1096-1112.
7.
Johannesson, R. E.Some problems in the measurement of organizational climate. Organizational Behavior and Human Performance1973, 10, 118-144.
8.
Lirtzman, S. I., House, R. J., & Rizzo, J. R.The stability and predictability of measurements of organizational practices. Academy of Management Proceedings1973, pp. 495-561.
9.
Litwin, G. H., & Stringer, R. A.Motivation and organizational climate. Boston: Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University, 1968.
10.
Meyer, H. H.Achievement motivation and industrial climates. In R. Taguiri and G. H. Litwin (Eds.), Organizational climate: Explorations of a concept. Boston: Division of Research, Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University, 1968.
11.
Muchinsky, P. M.An assessment of the Litwin and Stringer organization climate questionnaire: An empirical and theoretical extension of the Sims and LaFollette study. Personnel Psychology1976, 29, 371-392.
12.
Nie, N. H., Bent, D. H., & Hull, C. H.SPSS: Statistical package for the social sciences. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1970.
13.
Payne, R. L., & Pugh, D. S.Organizational structure and climate, in M. D. Dunnette (Ed.), Handbook of industrial and organizational psychology. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1976.
14.
Sims, H. P., & LaFollette, W.An assessment of the Litwin and Stringer organization climate questionnaire. Personnel Psychology1975, 28, 19-38.
15.
Smith, P. C., Kendall, L. M., & Hulin, C. L.The measurement of satisfaction in work and retirement: A strategy for the study of attitudes. Chicago: Rand McNally, 1969.
16.
Woodman, R. W., & King, D. C.Organizational climate: Science or folklore?Academy of Management Review1978, pp. 816-826.
