Building community at work: An exploratory study in healthcare system management.

Area of Science:

• Organizational Psychology
• Healthcare Management

Background:

• Sense of community (SOC) and SOC responsibility enhance employee psychological and behavioral outcomes.
• Community experiences are stronger predictors of employee outcomes than traditional management constructs.
• Empirical evidence on antecedents of workplace community experiences is limited.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify organizational conditions that foster community experiences at work.
• To empirically evaluate the propositions of the Community Experience Model.
• To bridge the gap in understanding the antecedents of workplace community.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative study involving interviews with executive leaders.
• Focus groups conducted with administrative leaders across four healthcare facilities.
• Exploration of organizational factors within a large nonprofit healthcare system.

Main Results:

• Confirmed the propositions of the Community Experience Model.
• Identified key organizational conditions that appear to build community experiences.
• Provided a framework for future empirical testing of community-building factors.

Conclusions:

• Organizational conditions significantly influence the development of community experiences.
• Findings offer practical guidance for leaders aiming to cultivate a stronger sense of community.
• The study provides a foundation for future research on workplace community and its impact on employee outcomes.