Invited reaction: Development and exploratory validation of an organizational efficacy scale

Abstract

Without reservation, in the preceding article (Bohn, 2010) the author has captured a deficiency, as he quotes, of “over two decades” in the human resource development (HRD) field. Although many have examined noteworthy items within the self-efficacy model as a means of assessing the functionality of organizations, a true depiction of organizational efficacy has not surfaced until now. Prior to this validation, many in the HRD field had long pondered the employee perspective of efficacy for its impact upon organizational effectiveness. In reality, all that remained after each study was individual self-efficacy levels without anything to bridge the gap to organization results. A scale for examining the confidence within an organization is most sufficient for determining the reasons for varying levels of organizational output, not only on a product basis but also from a human performance perspective. The organizational efficacy tool described is an extension of collective efficacy measures, and narrows collective efficacy to specific business populations. Although we have known that efficacy predicts performance, we now know how efficacy in organizations influences specific business performance results. This, indeed, corresponds to the work of Bandura and those of his persuasion to develop instruments that match with the situations of measurement. As a result, the financial analysts, at this point, should leap for joy because of the closer tie between human resource development initiatives and return-oninvestment evaluations for the holistic organization. The utility of the organizational efficacy is far reaching in that organizations have many forms and bases for doing business, and thus the scale developed here can be used to examine a variety of businesses—from the smallest art museum to the largest airplane manufacturer. Therefore, diminishing returns from this scale are not in the near future. The efforts made to clarify and distinguish self-efficacy, collective efficacy, and organizational efficacy do wonders to invite the reader to reflect upon why