Substance Abuse in Organizations — Organizational Culture
Jim Schreier
Organizations face different types of problems in dealing with workplace substance abuse based on the industry, the product or service involved, and the size of the organization. Based on 40+ years of research on the challenges of substance abuse in organizations, a key observation is the variety of responses and the changes in the dynamics of the problem based on challenges and management practices. In two previous posts, key points our previous research were presented. (Substance Abuse in Organizations – Impact of Management Practices Part I and Substance Abuse in Organizations – Impact of Management Practices Part II)
Organization Culture
Organization culture, the elusive and very popular topic of an organization’s values and driving forces, is another key issue. To what extent does an organization’s culture contribute to employee substance abuse? Or perhaps more importantly, to what extent could organizational culture help an organization deal with or prevent substance abuse problems? The debate can rage forever on whether particular types of substance abuse are hereditary, or a person’s own decision, or caused by reactions to life events. But it is clear, in some cases, that organizations with unhealthy working conditions, or high-stress jobs, are likely to experience more – and more serious – cases of substance abuse.
Organization culture, for purposes of this research, will be based on the concepts of culture measured by the Organizational Culture Inventory – published by Human Synergistics. This idea of culture, based on behavioral norms, describes the behaviors that all members understand are expected of them if they are to “fit in” and “survive” within their organizations.
As a component of culture, behavioral norms are shaped by the commonly shared assumptions, beliefs, and values of organizational members (consistent with an ideational view) and lead to the general patterns of work-related behaviors and attitudes that may be observed. These behavioral norms guide the way in which members approach their work and interact with one another.
(Organizational Culture Inventory, Interpretation and Development Guide, Human Synergistics International)
The Organizational Culture Inventory focuses on the behavioral patterns that members believe are required to “fit in” or “meet expectations” within their organization. The twelve norms, shown on the following page, are organized into three general clusters that distinguish between Constructive, Passive/Defensive, and Aggressive/Defensive Cultures.
Constructive Cultures, in which members are encouraged to interact with people and approach tasks in ways that will help them to meet their higher-order satisfaction needs (includes Achievement, Self-Actualizing, Humanistic-Encouraging, and Affiliative norms).
Passive/Defensive Cultures, in which members believe they must interact with people in ways that will not threaten their own security (includes Approval, Conventional, Dependent, and Avoidance norms).
Aggressive/Defensive Cultures, in which members are expected to approach tasks in forceful ways to protect their status and security (includes Oppositional, Power, Competitive, and Perfectionistic norms).
(Organizational Culture Inventory, Interpretation and Development Guide, Human Synergistics International)
The use of the Organizational Culture Inventory as a component in the research on substance abuse in the workplace was prompted by a number of factors. First of all, since early in the 1990’s, work with organizational culture has become an important part of my consulting activity. I have conducted organizational culture audits for both profit and non-profit organizations in manufacturing, healthcare, entertainment, hospitality, health/fitness, and religious charities. Second, in the 1992 research, we explored the relationship between workplace substance abuse and the principles from In Search of Excellence. Third, research using the Organizational Culture Inventory showed that a clear relationship existed between culture factors and excellent organizations. The preliminary research of this project was a natural direction to continue exploring the relationship between workplace substance abuse and organizational issues.
The following charts show the Organizational Culture profile for organizations based on their experiences with workplace substance abuse. The first two charts compare these results with the profile of organizations which scored high on the original characteristics of excellence as measured by Tom Peters and Bob Waterman. The second set of charts shows the relationship between the results of organizations with “drug use experience” and independent measures of quality and service. In both cases, the results are clear: distinctive differences between the constructive styles and both the passive/defensive and aggressive/defensive styles.
This very preliminary examination shows a broad but very clear difference in organizational culture profiles. The preliminary results of this investigation show a culture of strong approval, avoidance, and conventional styles, all of which have been shown independently to have a negative impact on quality and service. On the positive side, scores are below average on all dimensions, most notably on achievement and self-actualization.
In this preliminary examination of culture, an exploration of very broad trends was designed. Ultimately much more detailed profiling would need to be researched. There are difficulties. Most organizations have experienced some incidence of workplace substance abuse. This research has not attempted to get to more detailed information – much of which is difficult if not impossible to obtain. But granting the preliminary nature of this research, the questions appear very clear:
- Is there a relationship between workplace substance abuse and an organization that emphasizes “avoiding conflict” or “hoping that problems that will take care of themselves” (Avoidance norms)?
- Is there a relationship between workplace substance abuse and organization that does not “accept and share responsibility” or “believes that individual effort is important” (Achievement norms)?
A Current Perspective
In the years since this research identified a link between organizational culture and substance abuse in organizations, the importance of organizational culture has, deservedly, gained momentum related to several dimensions of organizational success. As more and more evidence mounts about the relationships between culture and hiring, retention, quality, customer service, the links suggested here also gain relevance. Organizations now face the new challenges:
- The opioid epidemic and its impacts on organizational policies and practices
- Hiring challenges with a booming economy
- Legal changes around testing and legalized marijuana
Successfully addressing these challenges, including the ongoing challenges of substance abuse in organizations, just further increases the need to include organizational culture as part of the solution.