Psychological climate: Some theoretical and empirical considerations

Abstract

Psychological climate is distinguished from organizational climate, and a model is presented to depict how psychological climate affects and is affected by other variables in organizational settings. Based on the model, a series of hypotheses is developed and tested in the managerial echelons of four large organizations. Findings indicate that psychological climate seems to be affected by the organizational setting and, to a lesser degree, by the employee's echelon in the organization. Further, psychological climate was found to have considerable covariation with satisfaction and motivational variables, while failing to correlate to any appreciable degree with performance measures. As represented by the model, climate was also tested for its moderating effects on the relationships between motivation and the dependent variables of satisfiction and performance, with mixed results. One of the more important considerations arising from this study concerns the distinction between organizational and psychological climates. And while no precise answers are provided, directions for future research seem to be clarified by this investigation.