Measuring organisational climate and employee engagement: Evidence for a 7 Ps model of work practices and outcomes

Figures & data

Table I. Sample characteristics

Organisation characteristic	Business units n	%
Size of organisation (no. employees)
<20	294	23
20–99	376	29
100–199	138	11
200–999	170	13
1,000–10,000	157	12
>10,000	104	8
Not reported	40	3
Total	1279	100
Industry
Agriculture, Forestry and Fishing	10	1
Mining	11	1
Manufacturing	65	5
Electricity, Gas and Water Supply	9	1
Construction and Engineering	47	4
Wholesale Trade and Equipment Supply	71	6
Transport and Storage	12	1
Retail Trade	241	19
Accommodation, Hospitality, Tourism and Restaurants	153	12
Information and Communication Technologies	100	8
Finance and Insurance	111	9
Professional, Property and Business Services	87	7
Government Administration and Defence	28	2
Education	72	6
Health and Community Services	63	5
Cultural and Recreational Services	17	1
Personal Services	11	1
Pharmaceutical and Biotechnology	20	2
Other	89	7
Not reported	62	5
Total	1279	100

Table II. Voice Climate Survey © 2003: lower-order factor loadings and regression weights

Lower-order factors	Items	EFA Group 1	CFA Group 2
Organisation Direction	1. I am aware of the vision senior management has for the future of this organisation	.67	.77
(.80, .27)	2. I am aware of the values of this organisation	.48	.73
	3. I am aware of the overall strategy senior management has for this organisation	.68	.77
Results Focus	4. Staff are encouraged to continually improve their performance	.55	.71
(.77, .26)	5. High standards of performance are expected	.74	.73
	6. This organisation has a strong focus on achieving positive results	.58	.76
Mission & Values	7. I believe in the overall purpose of this organisation	.62	.79
(.84, .30)	8. I believe in the values of this organisation	.64	.82
	9. I believe in the work done by this organisation	.58	.77
Ethics	10. This organisation is ethical	.48	.79
(.78, .28)	11. This organisation is socially responsible	.87	.79
	12. This organisation is environmentally responsible	.52	.61
Role Clarity	13. I understand my goals and objectives and what is required of me in my job	.61	.75
(.77, .23)	14. I understand how my job contributes to the overall success of this organisation	.73	.78
	15. During my day-to-day duties I understand how well I am doing	.59	.65
Diversity	16. Sexual harassment is prevented and discouraged	.70	.75
(.84, .26)	17. Discrimination is prevented and discouraged	.89	.84
	18. There is equal opportunity for all staff in this organisation	.50	.67
	19. Bullying and abusive behaviours are prevented and discouraged	.62	.75
Resources	20. I have access to the right equipment and resources to do my job well	.64	.77
(.82, .24)	21. I have easy access to all the information I need to do my job well	.80	.81
	22. We can get access to additional resources when we need to	.56	.76
Processes	23. There are clear policies and procedures for how work is to be done	.63	.74
(.81, .26)	24. In this organisation it is clear who has responsibility for what	.67	.77
	25. Our policies and procedures are efficient and well-designed	.57	.77
Technology	26. The technology used in this organisation is kept up to date	.78	.84
(.82, .29)	27. This organisation makes good use of technology	.94	.89
	28. Staff in this organisation have good skills at using the technology we have	.43	.62
Safety	29. Keeping high levels of health and safety is a priority of this organisation	.55	.75
(.86, .28)	30. We are given all necessary safety equipment and training	.78	.81
	31. Staff are aware of their occupational health and safety responsibilities	.83	.78
	32. Supervisors and management engage in good safety behaviour	.69	.78
Facilities	33. The buildings, grounds and facilities I use are in good condition	.69	.76
(.85, .32)	34. The condition of the buildings, grounds and facilities I use is regularly reviewed	.88	.87
	35. The buildings, grounds and facilities I use are regularly upgraded	.78	.81
Leadership	36. I have confidence in the ability of senior management	.61	.77
(.86, .30)	37. Senior management are good role models for staff	.69	.81
	38. Senior management keep people informed about what's going on	.49	.74
	39. Senior management listen to other staff	.51	.76
Recruitment & Selection	40. This organisation is good at selecting the right people for the right jobs	.58	.75
(.84, .27)	41. Managers in this organisation know the benefits of employing the right people	.85	.82
	42. Managers in this organisation are clear about the type of people we need to employ	.73	.82
Cross-Unit Cooperation	43. There is good communication across all sections of this organisation	.62	.80
(.83, .28)	44. Knowledge and information are shared throughout this organisation	.65	.85
	45. There is cooperation between different sections in this organisation	.52	.71
Learning & Development	46. When people start in new jobs here they are given enough guidance and training	.52	.72
(.80, .27)	47. There is a commitment to ongoing training and development of staff	.70	.83
	48. The training and development I've received has improved my performance	.48	.75
Involvement	49. I have input into everyday decision-making in this organisation	.59	.70
(.79, .24)	50. I am encouraged to give feedback about things that concern me	.64	.75
	51. I am consulted before decisions that affect me are made	.50	.79
Rewards & Recognition	52. The rewards and recognition I receive from this job are fair	.44	.81
(.83, .26)	53. This organisation fulfils its obligations to me	.44	.81
	54. I am satisfied with the income I receive	.78	.70
	55. I am satisfied with the benefits I receive (super, leave, etc.)	.61	.66
Performance Appraisal	56. My performance is reviewed and evaluated often enough	.58	.71
(.83, .24)	57. The way my performance is evaluated is fair	.78	.83
	58. The way my performance is evaluated provides me with clear guidelines for improvement	.68	.84
Supervision	59. I have confidence in the ability of my manager	.67	.79
(.89, .24)	60. My manager listens to what I have to say	.83	.84
	61. My manager gives me help and support	.86	.86
	62. My manager treats me and my work colleagues fairly	.71	.80
Career Opportunities	63. Enough time and effort is spent on career planning	.53	.77
(.83, .24)	64. I am given opportunities to develop skills needed for career progression	.70	.83
	65. There are enough opportunities for my career to progress in this organisation	.59	.77
Motivation & Initiative	66. My co-workers put in extra effort whenever necessary	.54	.77
(.81, .22)	67. My co-workers are quick to take advantage of opportunities	.72	.73
	68. My co-workers take the initiative in solving problems	.59	.81
Talent	69. I have confidence in the ability of my co-workers	.48	.80
(.87, .22)	70. My co-workers are productive in their jobs	.77	.87
	71. My co-workers do their jobs quickly and efficiently	.64	.83
Teamwork	72. I have good working relationships with my co-workers	.69	.77
(.86, .24)	73. My co-workers give me help and support	.81	.85
	74. My co-workers and I work well as a team	.73	.84
Wellness	75. I am given enough time to do my job well	.49	.69
(.83, .21)	76. I feel in control and on top of things at work	.68	.75
	77. I feel emotionally well at work	.59	.79
	78. I am able to keep my job stress at an acceptable level	.56	.74
Work/Life Balance	79. I maintain a good balance between work and other aspects of my life	.70	.77
(.86, .21)	80. I am able to stay involved in non-work interests and activities	.85	.84
	81. I have a social life outside of work	.78	.77
	82. I am able to meet my family responsibilities while still doing what is expected of me at work	.70	.76
Organisation Objectives	83. The goals and objectives of this organisation are being reached	.42	.75
(.84, .32)	84. The future for this organisation is positive	.70	.83
	85. Overall, this organisation is successful	.62	.81
Change & Innovation	86. Change is handled well in this organisation	.43	.73
(.84, .31)	87. The way this organisation is run has improved over the last year	.62	.73
	88. This organisation is innovative	.61	.77
	89. This organisation is good at learning from its mistakes and successes	.51	.80
Customer Satisfaction	90. This organisation offers products and/or services that are high quality	.52	.76
(.83, .31)	91. This organisation understands the needs of its customers	.72	.82
	92. Customers are satisfied with our products and/or services	.62	.76
Organisation Commitment	93. I feel a sense of loyalty and commitment to this organisation	.60	.84
(.88, .31)	94. I am proud to tell people that I work for this organisation	.53	.82
	95. I feel emotionally attached to this organisation	.73	.76
	96. I am willing to put in extra effort for this organisation	.58	.78
Job Satisfaction	97. My work gives me a feeling of personal accomplishment	.53	.78
(.86, .24)	98. I like the kind of work I do	.77	.83
	99. Overall, I am satisfied with my job	.68	.85
Intention To Stay	100. I am likely to still be working in this organisation in 2 years time	.72	.83
(.89, .28)	101. I would like to still be working in this organisation in 5 years time	.92	.89
	102. I can see a future for me in this organisation	.74	.86
Notes: CFA = confirmatory factor analysis; EFA, exploratory factor analysis.
Voice Climate Survey © 2003. Please see the author's note in this article regarding conditions of use.
(n, n): scale alphas and intra-class correlations.

Table III. Higher-order factor loadings

Higher-order factors	Lower-order factors	EFA Group 1	CFA Group 2
Purpose	Organisation Direction	.40	.70
(.91, .36)	Results Focus	.34	.67
	Mission and Values	.52	.75
	Ethics	.46	.71
	Role Clarity	.27	.61
	Diversity	.35	.63
Property	Resources	.38	.76
(.91, .32)	Processes	.33	.73
	Technology	.48	.67
	Safety	.55	.64
	Facilities	.51	.58
Participation	Leadership	.48	.77
(.95, .32)	Recruitment and Selection	.42	.73
	Cross-Unit Cooperation	.58	.71
	Learning and Development	.48	.72
	Involvement	.55	.71
	Reward and Recognition	.36	.70
	Performance Appraisal	.47	.66
	Supervision	.31	.68
	Career Opportunities	.55	.69
People	Motivation and Initiative	.74	.77
(.91, .27)	Talent	.98	.87
	Teamwork	.65	.75
Peace	Wellness	.70	.92
(.87, .23)	Work/Life Balance	.66	.58
Progress	Organisation Objectives	.59	.79
(.91, .36)	Change and Innovation	.44	.81
	Customer Satisfaction	.59	.77
Passion	Organisation Commitment	.68	.87
(.92, .31)	Job Satisfaction	.61	.80
	Intention To Stay	.73	.69
Notes: CFA = confirmatory factor analysis; EFA, exploratory factor analysis.
(n, n): scale alphas and intra-class correlations.

Table IV. Characteristics of higher-order factors

Higher-order factors**	M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6
1. Purpose	3.90	0.57
2. Property	3.64	0.64	.69
3. Participation	3.44	0.66	.75	.72
4. People	3.92	0.65	.53	.49	.51
5. Peace	3.85	0.68	.46	.49	.46	.47
6. Progress	3.74	0.68	.70	.68	.73	.49	.47
7. Passion	3.59	0.83	.63	.53	.65	.45	.37	.62
Note: **All inter-correlations are significant at p < .01.

Table V. Business-unit-level details and correlations between Voice Climate Survey factors and organisational outcomes

			Data collected from managers
Employees' ratings	M	SD	Composite Performance	Turnover (Business Unit)	Turnover (Organisation)	Absenteeism (Business Unit)	Absenteeism (Organisation)	Productivity (Business Unit)	Productivity (Organisation)	Health and Safety (Business Unit)	Health and Safety (Organisation)	Goal Attainment	Profit/Surplus Actual	Profit/Surplus Change	Organisation Objectives	Change & Innovation	Customer Satisfaction
n			831	301	1135	303	1108	337	339	338	1235	1232	1192	1195	589	590	588
M			0	15.43	17.69	6.66	6.29	3.97	3.86	4.30	4.16	3.47	3.98	3.77	4.12	3.80	4.22
SD			.52	16.62	18.50	6.69	5.68	0.63	0.61	0.76	0.74	0.95	0.96	0.98	0.65	0.67	0.54
Purpose	3.90	0.38	.33**	−.11	−.13**	−.21**	−.14**	.28**	.24**	.16**	.18**	.17**	.09**	.11**	.28**	.23**	.28**
Organisation Direction	3.59	0.50	.32**	−.08	−.10**	−.18**	−.11**	.20**	.18**	.08	.12**	.19**	.14**	.14**	.30**	.28**	.24**
Results Focus	4.02	0.44	.31**	−.06	−.06	−.18**	−.13**	.21**	.16**	.07	.15**	.18**	.16**	.15**	.30**	.29**	.29**
Mission and Values	3.87	0.51	.28**	−.13*	−.15**	−.21**	−.13**	.28**	.27**	.16**	.16**	.15**	.04	.07*	.25**	.16**	.23**
Ethics	3.81	0.48	.25**	−.06	−.16**	−.19**	−.08**	.25**	.23**	.19**	.18**	.12**	.06*	.05	.18**	.15**	.23**
Role Clarity	4.02	0.40	.22**	−.10	−.08**	−.11	−.07*	.22**	.22**	.19**	.13**	.10**	.04	.08**	.20**	.12**	.21**
Diversity	4.07	0.46	.22**	−.08	−.11**	−.18**	−.14**	.19**	.13*	.13*	.13**	.08**	.03	.05	.16**	.14**	.21**
Property	3.64	0.41	.28**	−.10	−.08**	−.18**	−.09**	.21**	.20**	.11	.16**	.16**	.10**	.09**	.18**	.21**	.23**
Resources	3.69	0.47	.25**	−.12*	−.07*	−.11	−.08*	.23**	.21**	.11*	.12**	.10**	.07**	.04	.18**	.16**	.22**
Processes	3.57	0.49	.25**	.00	−.01	−.14*	−.07*	.19**	.20**	.10	.15**	.15**	.08**	.08**	.21**	.23**	.25**
Technology	3.56	0.53	.22**	−.15*	−.09**	−.12*	−.06*	.15**	.13*	.02	.11**	.14**	.06*	.08**	.14**	.17**	.16**
Safety	3.80	0.49	.21**	.01	−.06*	−.19**	−.10**	.12*	.08	.12*	.14**	.12**	.05	.07*	.13**	.12**	.19**
Facilities	3.58	0.58	.21**	−.13*	−.07*	−.15*	−.05	.15**	.16**	.08	.12**	.14**	.11**	.07*	.09*	.15**	.13**
Participation	3.45	0.43	.33**	−.14*	−.12**	−.21**	−.12**	.23**	.23**	.08	.16**	.18**	.09**	.12**	.24**	.29**	.27**
Leadership	3.57	0.52	.33**	−.14*	−.11**	−.16**	−.10**	.23**	.23**	.08	.16**	.16**	.09**	.10**	.26**	.32**	.27**
Recruitment and Selection	3.57	0.51	.30**	−.07	−.06*	−.16**	−.12**	.26**	.23**	.06	.13**	.14**	.08**	.11**	.25**	.25**	.31**
Cross-Unit Cooperation	3.31	0.53	.29**	−.08	−.07*	−.12*	−.07*	.17**	.20**	.04	.12**	.13**	.03	.06*	.22**	.34**	.30**
Learning and Development	3.51	0.53	.28**	−.05	−.07*	−.18**	−.09**	.16**	.15**	.10	.15**	.15**	.07*	.08**	.21**	.27**	.25**
Involvement	3.26	0.54	.28**	−.07	−.12**	−.16**	−.08**	.16**	.18**	.02	.13**	.13**	.06	.09**	.19**	.24**	.24**
Reward and Recognition	3.39	0.51	.28**	−.15**	−.15**	−.19**	−.11**	.21**	.25**	.10	.12**	.16**	.08**	.11**	.13**	.15**	.14**
Performance Appraisal	3.44	0.53	.28**	−.15**	−.11**	−.22**	−.11**	.18**	.17**	.07	.11**	.17**	.10**	.12**	.17**	.19**	.16**
Supervision	3.87	0.50	.22**	−.11*	−.11**	−.18**	−.14**	.21**	.14*	.15**	.15**	.10**	.06	.07*	.16**	.13**	.17**
Career Opportunities	3.11	0.54	.22**	−.15**	−.11**	−.13*	−.04	.19**	.20**	.02	.07*	.15**	.08**	.08**	.16**	.19**	.14**
People	3.92	0.39	.24**	−.15*	−.09**	−.20**	−.15**	.27**	.19**	.16**	.14**	.10**	.04	.05	.12**	.13**	.17**
Motivation and Initiative	3.72	0.43	.26**	−.15*	−.11**	−.20**	−.15**	.22**	.20**	.12*	.13**	.13**	.05	.06*	.13**	.16**	.16**
Talent	3.90	0.42	.22**	−.14*	−.09**	−.18**	−.12**	.26**	.19**	.14**	.13**	.08**	.02	.03	.12**	.13**	.17**
Teamwork	4.13	0.42	.18**	−.10	−.05	−.18**	−.14**	.24**	.13*	.17**	.13**	.07*	.05	.05	.09*	.07	.13**
Peace	3.86	0.39	.16**	−.05	−.03	−.13*	−.09**	.16**	.20**	.21**	.16**	.04	−.01	.01	.09*	.10*	−.18**
Wellness	3.76	0.41	.18**	−.06	−.05	−.11	−.09**	.17**	.20**	.15**	.14**	.06*	.01	.03	.09*	.11**	.17**
Work/Life Balance	3.96	0.44	.12**	−.03	.00	−.12*	−.08*	.12*	.15**	.22**	.15**	.01	−.03	−.01	.07	.06	.15**
Progress	3.75	0.45	.41**	−.11	−.12**	−.17**	−.12**	.24**	.28**	.12*	.19**	.24**	.15**	.19**	.34**	.34**	.33**
Organisation Objectives	3.90	0.48	.41**	−.11	−.11**	−.17**	−.12**	.20**	.22**	.08	.17**	.28**	.23**	.23**	.38**	.28**	.28**
Change and Innovation	3.44	0.52	.36**	−.10	−.11**	−.13*	−.09**	.21**	.26**	.08	.15**	.20**	.09**	.17**	.28**	.37**	.25**
Customer Satisfaction	3.92	0.48	.36**	−.09	−.11**	−.17**	−.13**	.25**	.27**	.16**	.20**	.18**	.11**	.14**	.28**	.26**	.39**
Passion	3.58	0.53	.32**	−.28**	−.25**	−.21**	−.12**	.26**	.27**	.07	.12**	.16**	.07**	.11**	.19**	.16**	.17**
Organisation Commitment	3.72	0.55	.32**	−.25**	−.18**	−.20**	−.14**	.27**	.26**	.09	.15**	.15**	.08**	.11**	.22**	.19**	.22**
Job Satisfaction	3.77	0.49	.29**	−.23**	−.20**	−.16**	−.12**	.31**	.31**	.11*	.14**	.13**	.04	.10**	.17**	.12**	.18**
Intention To Stay	3.25	0.71	.27**	−.27**	−.29**	−.21**	−.09**	.16**	.21**	.03	.06*	.15**	.08**	.09**	.13**	.13**	.08*
Notes: Higher scores for turnover and absenteeism indicate worse performance, hence negative correlations indicate that higher scores on the Voice Climate Survey correlate with lower turnover and absenteeism.
*p < .05; **p < .01.