Organizational climate research: a proposed approach focused on banking institutions

Abstract

Purpose – The use of the general satisfaction index (GSI) concept is a great way to measure the organizational climate. However, the traditional concept has an inaccurate calculation approach. In order to review this concept, the purpose of this paper is to propose a methodology to obtain this index through a more appropriate mathematical approach, supported by some linear algebra concepts. For this purpose, an organizational climate survey was carried out in a bank agency to exemplify application of this method. Each step of the application was detailed, as well as the intermediate results achieved. Among its principal benefits are: improved accuracy to obtain the GSI; the possibility of a comparison with a minimum required rate for the decision-making process; and the possibility of identifying the order of priority of the organizational climate dimensions that mostly need improvements. Design/methodology/approach – The working method was divided into three parts. The first part consists of the collection of data on employee satisfaction through a questionnaire based on Luz (2003) considerations and presented in a research performed by Maciel (2011), which uses 27 pertinent questions directed to the context of a banking system. These questions were answered on a scale from 0 to 4, where 0 means a very negative satisfaction condition and 4 a very positive one. The second part dealt with the application of the methodology for calculating GSI. The third and final part consisted of proposing improvements to increase the GSI of the studied bank agency. Findings – In general, the proposed method has proved to be a great ally to climate research and also to identify the need for improvements in banking context. Finally, the use of the 5W2H tool has proved important to improve weak points observed in the climate analysis, providing an initial guide to raise the agency’s GSI and achieve the goals pursued by the company. It is noteworthy that, due to the fact that improvement actions have been inferred based on direct observation, there is still a need for further analysis and/or debates about the impact and viability of these solutions. Originality/value – The proposed method turns GSI into a more accurate and appropriate tool, making it even more valuable in decision-making process faced by human resources departments focussed on improving or maintaining the organizational climate. To illustrate the application of the new approach regarding this tool, an organizational climate study in a bank branch is conducted.

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