UMI/ProQuest page	http://wwwlib.umi.com/dissertations/fullcit/3082491
PUBLICATION NUMBER	AAT 3082491
TITLE	The characteristics of the organization culture of six effective substance abuse programs: An exploratory study
AUTHOR	Walton, Judith Patricia
DEGREE	PhD
SCHOOL	FIELDING GRADUATE INSTITUTE
DATE	2003
PAGES	149
ADVISER	Seashore, Charles
SOURCE	DAI-A 64/02, p. 572, Aug 2003
SUBJECT	BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT (0454); HEALTH SCIENCES, GENERAL (0566)
ABSTRACT	The purpose of this descriptive study was to compare the characteristics of the organization culture of six effective substance abuse prevention programs. Research to study the relationship between organization culture and the effectiveness or performance of that organization has primarily focused on for-profit organizations. This research studied the culture-performance link in a specific kind of nonprofit organization – those that provide substance abuse prevention services. Six programs that the Center for Substance Abuse Prevention (CSAP) had identified as model, effective, or promising were recruited for this study. The characteristics of organization culture were assessed and measured by two instruments. The first was the Organization Culture Assessment Inventory (OCAI). This survey operationalizes the competing values model. This model is based on three dimensions of organization culture: structural control or flexibility; a focus on internal or external constituents; and a focus on processes or final outcomes. From the combination of dimensions and their related characteristics, the authors developed descriptions of four models of organizations: clan, “adhocracy”; market and hierarchy. These organizations reflect some combination of the characteristics of each of the four types. The second assessment tool that was used was an interview protocol. The interview questions were based on the results of the OCAI and also included other open-ended questions to assess member's perceptions of their organization. Fifty-one staff, including the director, from each program completed the OCAI. At least two staff and the director were interviewed from each program. At the beginning of the interview, each was given the OCAI profiles for that program, their individual OCAI profiles based on the OCAI results, and a description of the four culture types. The interviews were audiotaped and analyzed using descriptors from the OCAI. The mean clan scores were the highest OCAI scores for five of the six programs and the mean market scores were the lowest OCAI scores for all six of the programs. A clan-type organization is characterized as a friendly place where staff value positive relationships with their co-workers, feel valued by their directors, and are loyal and committed to the work they do. Market cultures are those that emphasize goal achievement and focus on the external environment, rather than the needs of their staff. Two kinds of profiles were found with clan characteristics: those that emphasized clan and adhocracy characteristics and those that emphasized clan-hierarchy characteristics. Those programs with adhocracy characteristics emphasized innovation and flexibility along with characteristics associated with a clan type culture. Those with hierarchy characteristics emphasized internal processes, including efficiency and adherence to rules and procedures.