Title: Organisational atmospheres: the missing link between organisational culture and climate

Authors: Christian Julmi

Addresses: Fakultät für Wirtschaftswissenschaft, Lehrstuhl für Betriebswirtschaftslehre, insb. Organisation und Planung, University of Hagen, 58084 Hagen, Germany

Abstract: This article introduces the concepts of Hermann Schmitz's new phenomenology to organisation theory and links them with the concepts of organisational culture and climate. It is the concept of atmosphere in particular that serves as a bridge between organisational culture and climate. Although the significance of Schmitz' work on atmospheres has been acknowledged and applied in different areas, so far no corresponding attempt has been made in organisation theory. According to the approach presented here, organisational culture can be understood as a shared situation based on conventions, whereas organisational climate is regarded as the wholeness of atmospheres on an organisational level. It is shown that organisational culture and climate are inextricably intertwined, but must be distinguished. Finally, the connection between both concepts is delineated as a gestalt circle. Above all, the affective involvement of people is regarded as a precondition for any culture or climate to evolve.

Keywords: affective involvement; affect; felt body; atmosphere; organisational culture; organisational climate; new phenomenology; Hermann Schmitz.

DOI: 10.1504/IJWOE.2017.086446

International Journal of Work Organisation and Emotion, 2017 Vol.8 No.2, pp.131 - 147

Received: 28 Mar 2016
Accepted: 14 Apr 2017
Published online: 10 Sep 2017 *

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