The purpose of this descriptive study was to explore the relationship between dimensions of structure (i.e., centralization, formalization, and complexity) and climate in schools of nursing, using the framework of contingency theory. Data were collected from 111 full-time faculty from 11 baccalaureate and 7 associate degree schools of nursing in Minnesota accredited by the National Leaguefor Nursing. Thefindings indicated a significant relationship between structure and climate in the schools of nursing. Dispersion of influence throughout the school was associated with a more favorable climate. A higher degree of supervision by superiors was related to a less favorable climate.
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Aiken, M. , & Hage, J. (1966). Organizational alienation: A comparative analysis. American Sociological Review, 31, 497-507.
2.
Bonjean, C. M. , Brown, B. J., Grandjean, B. D., & Macken, P. A. (1982). Increasing work satisfaction through organizational change: A longitudinal study of nursing educators. Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 18, 357-369.
3.
Burns, T. , & Stalker, G. M. (1961). The management of innovation. London: Tavistock.
4.
Dessler, G. (1976). Organization and management: A contingency approach. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
5.
Galbraith, J. R. (1977). Organizational design. Reading, MA: Addison-Wesley.
6.
Glick, W. H. (1985). Conceptualizing and measuring organizational and psychological climate: Pitfalls in multilevel research. Academy of Management Review, 10, 601-616.
7.
Glick, W. H. (1988). Response: Organizations are not central tendencies: Shadowboxing in the dark, round 2. Academy of Management Review, 13, 133-137.
8.
Grandjean, B. D. , Bonjean, C. M., & Aiken, L. H. (1982). The effect of centralized decision making on work satisfaction among nursing educators. Research in Nursing and Health, 5, 29-36.
9.
Grigsby, K. A. (1988). The organizational structure and organizational climate in two schools of nursing: A comparative analysis. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Texas, Austin.
10.
Grigsby, K. A. (1991). Perceptions of the organization's climate: Influencedby the organization's structure?Journal of Nursing Education, 30, 81-88.
11.
Hage, J. , & Aiken, M. (1969). Routine technology, social structure, and organization goals. Administrative Science Quarterly, 14, 366-367.
12.
Ivancevich, J. M. , & Donnelly, J. H., Jr. (1975). Relation of organizational structure to job satisfaction, anxiety-stress, and performance. Administrative Science Quarterly, 20, 272-280.
13.
Juhl, N. H. (1985). Formalization, control, and satisfaction: A descriptive study of Texas schools with baccalaureate programs. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Texas, Austin.
14.
Juhl, N. H. (1989). Formalization, control, and satisfaction in schools of nursing. Western Journal of Nursing Research, 11, 568-575.
15.
Lawrence, P. R. , & Lorsch, J. W. (1967). Organization and environment: Managing diferentiation and integration. Boston: Graduate School of Business Administration, Harvard University.
16.
Leatt, P. , & Schneck, R. (1982). Technology, size, environment, and structure in nursing subunits. Organizational Studies, 3, 221-242.
17.
Litwin, G. H. , Humphrey, J. W., & Wilson, T. B. (1978). Organizational climate: A proven tool for improving performance. In W. W. Burke (Ed.), The cutting edge: Current theory and practice in organizational development (pp. 187-205). La Jolla, CA: University Associates.
18.
Lorsch, J. W. , & Morse, J. J. (1974). Organizations and their members: A contingency approach. New York: Harper & Row.
19.
Lubbert, V. M. (1990). The relationship between structure and climate in schools of nursing. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Texas, Austin.
Moos, R. H. (1986). Work environment scale manual (2nd ed.). Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists.
22.
Moos, R. H. (1987). The social climate scales: A user's guide. Palo Alto, CA: Consulting Psychologists.
23.
Porter, L. W. , & Lawler, E. E., III. (1965). Properties of organization structure in relation to job attitudes and job behavior. Psychological Bulletin, 64, 23-51.
24.
Schnake, M. E. (1983). An empirical assessment of the effects of affective response in the measurement of organizational climate. Personnel Psychology, 36, 791-807.
25.
Scott, W. R. (1981). Organizations: Rational, natural, and open systems. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall.
26.
Stewart, D. (1979). A critique of school climate: What it is, how it can be improved, and some general recommendations. Journal of Educational Administration, 17, 148-159.
27.
Tannenbaum, A. S. (1968). Control in organization. In A. S. Tannenbaum (Ed.), Control in organizations (pp. 3-29). New York: McGraw-Hill.
28.
Tannenbaum, A. S. , & Cooke, R. A. (1979). Organizational control: A review of studies employing the control graph method. In C. J. Lammers & D. J. Hickson (Eds.), Organizations alike and unalike: International and interinstitutional studies in the sociology of organizations (pp. 183-210). New York: McGraw-Hill.
29.
Thompson, J. D. (1967). Organizations in action. New York: McGraw-Hill.
30.
Van de Ven, A. H. , & Ferry, D. L. (1980). Measuring and assessing organizations. New York: Wiley.
31.
von Bertalanffy, L. (1968). General system theory: Foundations, development, applications (rev. ed.). New York: George Braziller.
32.
Walton, E. J. (1980). Formal structure: A review of the empirical relationships between task differentiation, role prescription, and authority dispersion. Organization Studies, 1, 229-252.
33.
Woodward, J. (1965). Industrial organization: Theory and practice. New York: Oxford University Press.
34.
Worthy, J. (1950). Organizational structure and employee morale. American Sociological Review, 15, 169-179.
