Artifacts of innovation-oriented organizational culture in nonprofit nursing homes: an explorative study

Understanding organizational culture is crucial for innovative management in nursing homes. This study investigates the relationship between four types of artifacts of innovation-oriented organizational culture (i.e. stories of innovation, physical arrangements for innovation, rituals of innovation, and a language supporting innovation) and three dimensions of innovative organizational behavior (IOB) of nursing homes (i.e. client-focused, marketing-focused, and technology-focused IOB).

Our data included responses from 61 chief executives of nonprofit nursing homes in Flanders (the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium). They completed an online survey containing item scales for artifacts of innovation-oriented organizational culture and IOB. Their answers were analyzed by means of regression analyses.

Artifacts of innovation-oriented organizational culture matter, but only to a certain extent. A language supporting innovation is positively related to client-focused IOB while stories of innovation and physical arrangements for innovation are positively related to marketing-focused IOB.

This study focuses on organizational culture as a new factor that drives innovation in nursing homes. Specifically, it shows that changes in artifacts of organizational culture may create an environment in which IOB is more likely to occur. Nursing home managers therefore need to know how to appropriately manage these artifacts.