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Benzer JK, Mohr DC, Stolzmann KL, Meterko MM, White RA, Osatuke K, Nealon Seibert M, Moore S, Charns MP, Young GJ. Collaborating for high performance: A mixed methods study of relational climate, organizational culture, and quality of care. Poster session presented at: Society for Industrial and Organizational Psychology Annual Conference; 2013 Apr 12; Houston, TX.
Abstract: Objective: This study applied mixed methods to understand how organizational climate and culture impact quality of care. Data Sources/study setting: 24 primary care clinics within eight medical centers in the Department of Veterans Affairs were purposefully sampled. Data collected in 2009 included 160 interviews, 374 surveys, and quality data from 1009 patients. Study Design: An observational design with three annual quality measurements was used. Data Collection: Individual interviews were conducted, data analyzed to identify content representing interpersonal relations and cooperative functions. Survey and quality data were categorized into three groups: above, below, and near median based on scores for a particular dimension. Methodological triangulation was used for climate analyses. Source triangulation was used for culture analyses to compare interpersonal relations and cooperative functions across eight medical centers. Principal Finding: For climate 75% of sites conformed to theoretical prediction. Five patterns of results were revealed that supported and extended the relationship between climate and quality. For culture, results demonstrated how strong cultures can both impact quality independently of relational climate, and also be detrimental to quality. Conclusion: This study confirms that relational climate is an important factor in quality of care, and advances knowledge regarding how organizational culture can impact quality.
