Organizational culture refers to the shared values, beliefs, and practices that shape how employees interact and work together within an organization. A strong culture fosters employee engagement, collaboration, and a sense of belonging, leading to higher productivity and retention. It also drives alignment between individual and organizational goals, creating a shared framework for decision-making. Neglecting culture can result in disengagement, miscommunication, turnover, and damage to an organization’s image and reputation.
We provide information below on three commonly used and empirically validated organizational culture measures: the Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI), the Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI), the Organizational Culture Profile (OCP), and the Organizational Culture Survey (OCS).
Organizational Culture Assessment Instrument (OCAI)
The OCAI is based on the Competing Values Framework (CVF), which categorizes organizational culture into four quadrants: Clan, Adhocracy, Market, and Hierarchy. The OCAI evaluates organizational culture in six areas:
- Dominant Characteristics
- Organizational Leadership
- Management of Employees
- Organizational Glue
- Strategic Emphases
- Criteria of Success
The OCAI was developed and published by Drs. Robert Quinn and Kim Cameron with Addison-Wesley. The CVF was published in Management Science.
Cameron, K. S., & Quinn, R. E. (1999). Diagnosing and changing organizational culture: Based on the competing values framework. Addison-Wesley.
Quinn, R. E., & Rohrbaugh, J. (1983). A spatial model of effectiveness criteria: Towards a competing values approach to organizational analysis. Management Science, 29(3), 363-377.
Use Case: The OCAI is most often used when the objective is to diagnosis and change the organizational culture. In this way, it is a strategic tool that can be utilized as part of change management. The OCAI also benefits from the alignment with the CVF, which allows it to be integrated into other CVF-based assessments (e.g., leadership style).
Organizational Culture Inventory (OCI)
The OCI measures organizational culture in terms of shared behavioral norms. It categorizes these norms into three types: Constructive, Passive/Defensive, and Aggressive/Defensive.
The OCI was developed and published by Drs. Robert Cooke and J. Clayton Lafferty during their time with Human Synergistics. The theoretical rationale behind the OCI was published in Group & Organization Studies with Dr. Denise Rousseau.
Cooke, R. A., & Lafferty, J. C. (1986). Level V: Organizational culture inventory-form III. Plymouth, MI: Human Synergistics.
Cooke, R. A., & Rousseau, D. M. (1988). Behavioral norms and expectations: A quantitative approach to the assessment of organizational culture. Group & Organization Studies, 13(3), 245-273.
Use Case: The OCI is most effective when the objective is to identify and address specific behavioral norms that impact organizational performance. As such, it is particularly useful when seeking to improve teamwork, productivity, and long-term effectiveness through the establishment of behavioral norms.
Organizational Culture Profile (OCP)
The OCP assesses person-organization fit by comparing individual preferences with organizational values. The OCP measures how well individuals’ values align with the organization’s culture, predicting job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and turnover. Example organizational culture dimensions include:
- Innovation
- Attention to Detail
- Outcome Orientation
- Aggressiveness
- Supportiveness
- Emphasis on Rewards
- Team Orientation
- Decisiveness
The OCP was developed and published by Drs. Charles O’Reilly, Jennifer Chatman, and David Caldwell in The Academy of Management Journal.
O’Reilly III, C. A., Chatman, J., & Caldwell, D. F. (1991). People and organizational culture: A profile comparison approach to assessing person-organization fit. Academy of Management Journal, 34(3), 487-516.
Use Case: The OCP is most effective when the goal is to evaluate the alignment between employee expectations and the current organizational culture. In some cases, the OCP can be used in selection settings, assuming the OCP has been validated within the organization (i.e., linked to job performance).