Profile of Organizational Characteristics

Sample Items

1. How much confidence and trust is shown in subordinates?
2. How free do they feel to talk to superiors about job?
3. How often are subordinates’ ideas sought and used constructively?
4. Is predominant use made of 1 fear, 2 threats, 3 punishment, 4 rewards, 5 involvement?
5. Where is responsibility felt for achieving organization’s goals?
6. How much cooperative teamwork exists?
7. What is the usual direction of informational flow?
8. How is downward communication accepted?
9. How accurate is upward communication?
10. How well do superiors know problems faced by subordinates?
11. At what level are decisions made?
12. Are subordinates involved in decisions related to their work?
13. What does the decision-making process contribute to motivation?
14. How are organizational goals established?
15. How much covert resistance to goals is present?
16. How concentrated are review and control functions?
17. Is there an informal organization resisting the formal one?
18. What are cost, productivity and other control data used for?

Scoring: A series of descriptive terms is used to define four positions along the continuum. For example: System 1 (Virtually None); System 2 (Some); System 3 (Substantial amount); and System 4 (A Great Deal).