Anne Reino

Organizational culture based on the example of an Estonian hospital

PURPOSE The concept of organisational culture (also referred to later as OC) is one of the approaches in modern organisational analysis exploring the values, attitudes and beliefs behind human behaviour in the workplace. OC as a social phenomenon is considered to be important for the sustainability of every organisation. In the service sector, OC may affect the nature and quality of the services provided. The aim of this paper is twofold: on the one hand, to highlight the patterns of OC in a hospital; and, on the other hand, to outline relationships between OC and patient satisfaction. The study was conducted in Tartu University Hospital, one of the most influential health care organisations in Estonia. This paper has original value by presenting an insight into organisational culture in the Estonian health care sector, and the findings of the study will expand knowledge of OC in the health care sector in general. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH The OC instrument applied in a quantitative cross-sectional study was earlier developed according to the Competing Values Framework (CVF). Data from 456 medical and non-medical professionals were analysed using non-parametric tests of descriptive statistics. A factor analysis was performed to assess the instruments compatibility for analysing the OC pattern in the health care sector. FINDINGS The dominant culture type in all the groups investigated was the Internal Processes type, mainly followed by the Rational Goal type, while different cultural patterns were observed in professional groups. The factor analysis yielded a three-subscale solution. Clinics with high patient satisfaction did not score more than clinics with low patient satisfaction in terms of the Human Relations type. ORIGINALITY/VALUE In future studies a random sample design and a multidisciplinary approach to OC research should be followed in order to further explore OC patterns in hospitals and their consequences for different aspects of hospital performance.

Is there a coherence between organizational culture and changes in corporate social responsibility in an economic downturn

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore how different types of organizational culture (OC) manifest in certain corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities and to uncover how the presence of certain OC types induces changes in CSR caused by drastic shifts in the economic environment.Design/methodology/approach – The analysis relies on a case study and uses qualitative and quantitative data obtained via interviews, employee survey and analysis of documents. The paper focuses on Ecoprint Ltd, a small printing house in Estonia, and analyzes its reactions to the economic downturn in 2008 and 2009 in terms of CSR. The authors then analyze the concurrence of these changes with its OC, based on a survey that relies on the Competing Values Framework.Findings – The dominant type of OC in the organization did not predict all its CSR practices, but described rather well how adaptation in the sphere of CSR took place as a result of economic downturn. The case demonstrated that CSR activities that relate...

Industry, Organizational Age, and Size as Predictors of Organizational Values in the Context of a Transition Society: The Case of Estonian Organizations

The objective of the article is to outline the regularities in the formation of organizational values in the context of a transition society. An Organizational Values Questionnaire (Reino 2009), based on the Competing Values Framework (Quinn and Cameron 1983), was used to analyze organizational values. A regression analysis was applied to test the impact of industry, organizational size, and age on organizational values. It was found that industry and organizational size had an important effect on values, but organizational age did not significantly predict organizational values in the context of a transition society.

Meaningful solutions for the unemployed or their counsellors? The role of case managers’ conceptions of their work

ABSTRACT This article reports the outcomes of a phenomenographical study of case managers’ conceptions of case management work and its influence on the process and performance of the work of counselling the unemployed. A heterogeneous sample of 11 Estonian case managers was selected for in-depth interviews. Analysis of the interviews revealed three distinct categories of description: (1) emphasis on psychological counselling, (2) emphasis on applying pressure, and (3) emphasis on cooperation. These categories follow from different beliefs about the cause of and solution to the problem of unemployment and lead to different methods being used in the case management process. A performance indicator showed only minor, if any, difference(s) across the three distinct categories; in fact, the performance indicator of case managers with similar conceptions varied considerably, possibly due to external factors.

Transformation of Organizational Culture and the Effects on Innovative Activities: The Case of Estonian ICT Companies

The ICT sector has often been considered to be on the frontline of innovation and this sector has been recognized as strategically significant for economic development. In Estonian context it is newborn sector which has experienced extremely fast development during last two decades. Organizational culture has been considered an important factor that may facilitate or impede innovation activities of organizations. The paper aims to bring out the patterns of transformation of the organizational culture of Estonian ICT organizations, and find connections between the culture and innovation activities of those organizations. The study draws on the case study of three Estonian ICT organizations. The research was designed as a retrospective study: semistructured and focus group interview with CEOs and employees were carried out in the organizations. Our study showed that the companies have passed comparable development phases, they share more or less similar organizational values, and innovativeness is seen as a part of organization’s strategy. No evidence was found to the connection between organizational values and certain types of innovation and it seems that different types of innovation depend mostly on companies’ profiles and not on values.