NCJ Number
241381
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 36 Issue: 9 Dated: September 2012 Pages: 621-632
Date Published
September 2012
Length
12 pages
Annotation
This study assessed the organizational social context measurement system for use in evaluating the organizational culture and climate of child welfare systems across the country.
Abstract
Findings from the study on organizational culture and climate in child welfare systems include the following: 1) caseworker responses to the organizational social context (OSC) scales generated acceptable to high scale reliabilities, moderate to high within-system agreement, and significant between-system differences; 2) caseworkers in the child welfare systems with the best organizational culture and climate profiles reported higher levels of job satisfaction and organizational commitment; and 3) organizational climates characterized by high engagement and functionality, and organizational cultures characterized by low rigidity were associated with the most positive work attitudes. This study assessed the OCS measurement system for use in evaluating the organizational culture and climate of child welfare systems across the country. Data for the study were obtained from 1,740 caseworkers at 81 child welfare systems that participated in the second National Survey of Child and Adolescent Wellbeing (NSCAW II). The data was analyzed using confirmatory factor analysis and hierarchical linear models to assess the effect that organizational culture and climate had on the ability of child welfare systems to effectively serve at risk children and adolescents. The findings from the study indicate the OCS can be used not only to reliably measure the organizational culture and climate of child welfare systems but also as a tool in a variety of service improvement and research efforts. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. Tables, figures, and references