The relationship between environmental turbulence and organizational improvisation in hospitals: The moderator role of organizational culture

Abstract

Aim: In today's business environment, dynamism, uncertainty, and environmental turbulence are quite high. Organizational improvisation is seen as an effective mechanism for organizations operating in these environments to respond to demands from the environment. This study aims to examine the relationship between environmental turbulence and organizational improvisation, and also the moderator role of organizational culture (adhocracy, clan, hierarchy, and market culture). 
 Methods: The study used a descriptive cross-sectional design. The data were collected from 487 lower, middle, and upper-level managers working in private hospitals in Istanbul. The disproportionate stratification method was used since hospitals are not homogeneous regarding technological and financial structure, size, and human resource quality. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences 23 program through PROCESS macro. 
 Results: The results show a positive relationship between environmental turbulence and organizational improvisation. Also, adhocracy, clan, and market cultures moderate the environmental turbulence and organizational improvisation relationship. As these three organizational cultures increase, the effect of environmental turbulence on organizational improvisation weakens. 
 Conclusion: This study indicates that environmental turbulence is an effective factor in hospitals' organizational improvisation capability. Furthermore, the moderation analysis suggests that organizational culture may be an important mechanism underlying environmental turbulence and organizational improvisation relationship.