Background: Despite extensive growth and interest in Positive Organizational Scholarship, there are few assessment tools available to measure positive organizational cultures. The purpose of this investigation was to conduct a preliminary study of an online survey assessment tool measuring implicit assumptions shared among organizational members.
Methods: Psychometric properties were examined with data collected from three industries using a web-based survey (N=3,059). Respondents were asked to describe the extent to which behaviors were expected of them as they performed their job and interacted with others in the organization. Items were generated from existing literature on implicit theories of efficacy, goal setting, approach, relationships, and altruistic behaviors. Half of the items emphasized beliefs that limit human potential in organizations and half that liberate human potential.
Findings: Results indicate that the factors had adequate internal consistency and strong predictive validity. As expected, limiting beliefs were associated with organizational dysfunction and employees’ intention to leave but had no relationship to employee or organizational thriving. On the other hand, liberating beliefs were highly associated with employee and organizational thriving.
Conclusion: Assessment of employees’ implicit theories of positive organizational expectations may provide a superior means of measuring organizational cultures that promote thriving in the workplace.