Competing Values Framework: A useful tool to define the predominant culture in a maternity setting in Australia

To identify the predominant culture of an organisation which could then assess readiness for change.

An exploratory design using the Competing Values Framework (CVF) as a self-administered survey tool.

The Maternity Unit in one Australian metropolitan tertiary referral hospital.

All 120 clinicians (100 midwives and 20 obstetricians) employed in the maternity service were invited to participate; 26% responded.

The identification of the predominant culture of an organisation to assess readiness for change prior to the implementation of a new policy.

The predominant culture of this maternity unit, as described by those who responded to the survey, was one of hierarchy with a focus on rules and regulations and less focus on innovation, flexibility and teamwork. These results suggest that this unit did not have readiness to change.

There is value in undertaking preparatory work to gain a better understanding of the characteristics of an organisation prior to designing and implementing change. This understanding can influence additional preliminary work that may be required to increase the readiness for change and therefore increase the opportunity for successful change. The CVF is a useful tool to identify the predominant culture and characteristics of an organisation that could influence the success of change.