Organizational climate: implications for the home healthcare workforce

Organizational climate generally refers to staff members' perceptions of organizational features like decision making, leadership, and norms. It is widely acknowledged that these perceptions influence patient, employee, and system outcomes. However, there has been little consensus on how best to measure these important relationships. This article examines how organizational climate has been defined and measured in health services research and identifies factors most important in home healthcare delivery. Standardization of climate measures will facilitate the ultimate goal of translating results into evidence-based management practices to improve the quality of care delivery.