What is the Difference between Organizational Culture and Organizational Climate? A Native's Point of View on a Decade of Paradigm Wars

Abstract

Recently, organizational culture researchers have applied quantitative survey methods and identified comparative ''dimensions'' of culture in a way that appears to contradict some of the original foundations of culture research within organizational studies. This new quantitative culture research also bears a strong resemblance to earlier research on organizational climate. This article examines the implications of this development by first considering the differences between the literatures on organizational culture and organizational climate and then examining the many similarities between these two literatures. The literatures are compared by focusing on their definition of the phenomena. their epistemology and methodology. and their theoretical foundations. The implications of the differing theoretical foundations and their underlying assumptions about the phenomenon are discussed at some length as are some of the consequences of the continued separation of these two literatures. The final discussion focuses on the implications of these developments for future research on organizational cultures and contexts.