Validating the Measures of Schein’s Theory of Organisational Culture in the Context of Lecturers at Kyambogo University

Abstract

The present study validated the measures of Schein’s Theory of Organisational Culture (TOC) within the context of full-time academic staff at Kyambogo University. Drawing on Schein’s (1980) conceptual framework, organisational culture was operationalised in terms of three core dimensions: artefacts, espoused beliefs and values, and basic underlying assumptions. This cross-sectional study employed a sample of 192 full-time academic staff from Kyambogo University. Data were collected using a self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics and structural equation modelling (SEM), specifically partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS software, were employed to examine the presence and structure of the three constructs outlined in Schein’s TOC. Descriptive results indicated that artefacts, espoused beliefs and values, and basic underlying assumptions were prominently exhibited among the academic staff. Furthermore, the PLS-SEM analysis confirmed that the indicators used to measure these constructs were valid and reliable representations of the underlying theoretical dimensions. The study concluded that the indicators utilised to measure the three constructs of organisational culture, as theorised by Schein, are both valid and reliable within the context examined. It is recommended that future researchers adopt these indicators when operationalising the constructs of TOC in similar academic or organisational settings.