PSYCHOLOGY MASTER'S THESIS ABSTRACT

William J. Fulton

Industrial/Organizational
August 1990

Perceptions of Organizational Climate as a Function of Individual Learning Style

    This study addressed the question of whether individuals with differing learning styles rate different aspects of a work environment as being more important.  Fifty-five employees from various departments within a large aerospace firm served as subjects.  The measures employed were (a) Kolb’s Learning Style Inventory and (b) a questionnaire assessing the perceived importance of organizational climate dimensions.  It was hypothesized that divergers would rate climate dimensions of warmth and support as more important than would accommodators, convergers or assimilators.  The climate dimension of risk was predicted to be rated more important by accommodators.  And lastly, the climate dimension of structure was hypothesized to be more important to convergers.  Statistical analysis (ANOVA) failed to support the hypotheses put forth in this study.  Results are discussed in light of Selection-Attraction-Attrition theory.

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