The effects of organizational structure on faculty job performance, job satisfaction, and counterproductive work behavior

Organizational researchers focus on group level variables such as organizational climate and organizational structure. The purpose of the current meso-level study is to examine the effects of the structure of an academic department on faculty members' job performance, job satisfaction, and prevalence of counterproductive work behavior (CWB), or harmful behaviors while at work. The sample consisted of 1135 full time faculty members working in 229 academic departments throughout the United States and Canada. Results of the study suggested that faculty members working in a more organically structured department report higher levels of job satisfaction. Additionally, productive faculty members working in more organically structured departments commit fewer instances of abusive behaviors than productive faculty members working in more mechanistically structured departments. The implications as well as limitations of the study are discussed.