| Summary: | D.Litt. et Phil. === The purpose of this study was to determine on a theoretical level what the role of communication climate in the formation of perceptions of organizational climate of the formal organization is. To achieve this purpose, existing conceptual and methodological issues surrounding the climate construct had to be alleviated. This was achieved through the operational definition of the construct within the framework of an organizational model, whereby a nomological net could be established for the construct. A theoretical framework within which the operational definition of the construct could be undertaken, was constructed through a systematic synthesis of available literature. Through structural functional analysis of existing systems theoretical approaches to the study of organization systems, a social systems model of organizational functioning was constructed. within this explicit theoretical framework the construct organizational climate, as well as the construct communication climate was operationally defined according to the role each plays in terms of the organization's functioning. By representing these constructs in relation to each other within the framework of an organizational model, a theoretical link between these two constructs could be specified. It was indicated that the determinants of organizational climate are the organizational processes which link organizational structures to functions. It was determined that the organizational climate construct consists of two sub constructs, i.e. communication climate and transformation climate. It was also noted that both these constructs are related to communication constructs, and thus the climate they generate is related to a climate for communication. The conclusion was 'thus made that organizational climate is a communication construct, which is indicative of the climate for organizational functioning which is provided by communication. It was also shown that the relationship by which the constructs communication climate and transformation climate determine organizational .climate cannot be specified in a general way. The reason for this is that the specific processes emphasized by the organization in its functioning will determine the relationship between these two constructs in the formation of the organizational climate of the formal organization. Finally, the methodological implications of this theoretical viewpoint were discussed.
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