Abstract
The purpose of this ex post facto correlation research was to (1) determine the relationship between hospital organizational climates and the number and types of reported innovations, (2) determine the influence of group membership on implemented innovations, and (3) determine whether innovations vary with hospital organizational affiliations. A literature review was conducted to position the study within the context of the larger field of innovation studies and to develop an organizational-climate research model. Specifically, the review (1) examined prevailing conceptual models and paradigms of innovation, (2) explored methods of observing and classifying innovation, (3) identified organizational-climate influences purported to encourage innovation, (4) examined influences of organizational heterogeneity on innovation, and (5) provided insight into the effects of hospital consolidations and network affiliations on innovation. Administrative innovations were positively correlated with innovative organizational climates. They also positively correlated with innovative-climate subsets such as vision, empowerment, collaboration, risk tolerance, and infrastructure. Other types of innovation (i.e., technical, human resources, and products/services) were not found to be positively associated with organizational-climate element subsets. Innovations related to products/services were negatively correlated to innovative organizational climates in general, as well as to leader empowerment, and risk-tolerance subsets. This study revealed that different types of innovation are nurtured by different combinations of organizational-climate factors. Narrowly applied to administrative innovations, the study validated much of the previous research linking organizational climates to innovations. A small set of climate factors was found to be associated with both technical and human-resources innovations, relating these factors to a generally positive workplace milieu characterized by professional relationships, interaction, and collaboration. None of the innovative-climate factors positively correlated with product/service innovations. Organizational group membership and hospital affiliation were found to neither encourage nor inhibit innovation. A revised research model and survey instrument are recommended with future research in this area. The findings also suggest that hospitals consider tailoring organizational-climate factors to encourage the types of innovation that will support and facilitate their unique organizational goals and objectives.