The effect of organizational environment on perceived power and climate: A laboratory study

Abstract

Subject perceptions of their own power (5 dimensions) and their perceptions of 4 aspects of organizational climate were investigated as a function of three characteristics of the organizational work environment. The 2 × 2 × 3 (level of participation, stockholder or customer orientation, and position level, respectively) design ( N = 120) was carried out in a laboratory setting. Climate and power perceptions were not strongly related to each other. Level of participation appeared to be the main contributor to self-perceived power both as a main effect and in interaction with stockholder/customer orientation and position level. Stockholder/customer orientation was the main contributor to climate perceptions, generally in interaction with one or the other environmental variable but also as a main effect. Participative decision-making results in decreased self-perceived power for occupants of higher positions. A customer orientation combined with participative decision-making leads to positive climate perceptions. The study, although highly controlled, yielded some results which are related to other research of this type.