Action Research in a Medium-Sized Company: Organizational Climate Assessment as a Premise of Organizational Development

The aim of this study is to check whether an analysis of organizational climate can indicate causes of dissatisfaction and difficulty in carrying out one’s job, as this can be a reliable source of information for Company Management that aims to carry out improving intervention in order to resolve working problems and to re-establish a good climate. A medium sized Company in the North–East of Italy which was experiencing some problems was the target of the research. To satisfy the study’s objective, it was decided to work with variables that express realistic areas of improvement and that can be important in a definition of the formation of organizational climate. To define the variables, the literature was consulted and, along with the use of those, identified in the Mayer D’Amato Organizational Questionnaire 10 (M_DOQ10). The following variables have been chosen: 1. Communication 2. Decision-Making Autonomy 3. Team Work 4. Coherence and Transparency of Company Strategy 5. Interest in One’s Job 6. Staff Development and Management 7. Leadership 8. Open-Mindedness and Ability to Adapt to New Situations 9. Awareness of Company Image The company population was composed of 64 people: 5 managers, 26 white-collar workers (subdivided into the following areas: commercial, administrative, technical, organization and communication) and 33 blue-collar workers. Accordingly, a complex operation was carried out using different working instruments: • M_DOQ10 Mayer_D’Amato Organizational Questionnaire (2004) given to the company population; • Focus group; • Individual interviews with opinion leaders. Gathering and analysis of data conform to privacy regulations in force. Results obtained were shared with Company Management and staff. For each variable, critical areas and strengths have emerged which made it possible to identify organizational factors which were the cause of difficulty in carrying out one’ job and the cause of dissatisfaction. A further result was the involvement and the motivation of the whole staff in actively taking part in Company improvement. These data have identified realistic and aims-driven strategies for improving implementation actions for organizational development