گسترش دامنه فرهنگ سازمانی : درک خارجی یک پدیده داخلی

Organisational culture is known as the values, beliefs and basic assumptions that are guided by leaders and shared by employees, and that explain “how things are done around here.” Organisational culture has primarily been viewed as an internal phenomenon, having an impact on staff behaviour and attitudes, and ultimately influencing organisational performance. Yet, it has more recently been conceptualised as a factor in shaping a company's image in the marketplace. This study examined the external perception of organisational culture according to clients of one company in the Canadian fitness industry. Findings showed that clients’ perception of organisational culture was significantly associated with their satisfaction and intent to stay with that fitness organisation.

In total, 250 surveys were distributed to club members and 113 useable surveys were returned (45.2% return); 69 surveys were completed on site (61%) and 44 were returned via mail. Of the 113 participants in the study, 67 were women (59%) and 46 were men (41%). The average age of the respondents was 38 years (SD=14.26) and ranged from 18-73 years. Of the respondents, 80% (n=89) completed college or university. The average membership length of respondents was 4.2 years (SM.8). On average, members used the facilities over 15 times each month ( e 1 5 . 7 times/ month, SD=4.9). Correspondence with personnel from the company's human resource department to compare findings of the study to current company statistics revealed that the sample was representative of the membership population in terms of gender, age, membership length, and facility usage (Human Resource Manager, personal communication, January 12, 2005).