To Anchor or to Voyage? The Influence of Organizational Culture on Child Protect Social Worker’s Retention
Date Issued
2016
Date
2016
Author(s)
HUNG, CHENG-FANG
Abstract
This study aimed to understand the relationship between organizational culture and job retention or turnover of child protective services worker in the view of governmental child protective services organizational in Taiwan. This study used the “purposeful sampling” and “snowball sampling“ of qualitative research methods to include the participants, and inquired semi-structured in-depth interviews. The participants were chosen from two Child Protective Services organization (organization A and B), one job retention workers and two turnover workers from organization A, and two job retention workers and one turnover workers form B organization. The overall finding listed as follow: 1.The organizational culture between two organizations was different: The A organization tended to have “constructive culture” in the past few years ago, but seemed to have “defensive culture” now. The organization B seemed to have “defensive culture” all the time. 2.The reason of job retention and turnover: The turnover reason of participants in this study included: the alteration of organizational culture, the poor organizational relationship, and personal career planning. The job retention reason of participants in this study included: Positive organizational culture climate, supportive organizational relationship, professional commitment, and enthusiasm to work. 3.Individual-organization fit: The six participants in this study all recognized their ability fit the demand of child protective services, but not the organization. 4.The difference between the organizational relationship of two organization led to different organizational climate: Although the overall organizational culture of the two organization in this study had “defensive culture”, the organizational relationship between them were not the same. The participants in organization B appreciate the support of their middle management, supervisor, and colleague, which led to their positive feeling to the organizational climate and decision of career planning. The child protective services organization in Taiwan were all in the same external environment, which the they cannot alter, but the middle management, supervisor, and colleague can come out the countermeasures based on their agency. These countermeasures could indeed affect the feeling of the organizational culture of frontline social worker, and change the decision of career planning. The job retention social worker in this study all had negative opinion to the nowadays oversight and evaluation system, but their professional commitment and enthusiasm for child protective services can sustain them to continually work. In conclusion, in order to keep more child protective services worker with enthusiasm, the finding in this study suggest the child protective services organization should establish positive organizational relationship, and strengthen the professional commitment and cohesion of frontline social worker from the middle management, supervisor, and colleague level.
Subjects
organizational culture
constructive culture
defensive culture
Individual-organization fit
organizational climate
Type
thesis