Organizational Culture for Research Integrity in Academic Health Centers

Jim Vander Putten

(University of Arkansas-Little Rock)

Carol R. Thrush

(University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences)

Paper presented at the 2006 Research Conference on Research Integrity,

December 1-3, Tampa.

Background and Purpose

Research involving human participants Social and behavioral sciences

Survey of faculty perceptions of academic organizational culture and climate characteristics for research integrity

One primary research question guided this pilot study:

1. What are academic health center faculty perceptions of the organizational culture and climate for research integrity?

Theoretical Framework

Two areas of research literature informed this study:

Organizational culture and climate in higher education; Productivity in the responsible conduct of research.

Organizational Culture and Climate: Institutional Culture: “basic assumptions and beliefs that are shared by the

organization”Organizational Climate: “current patterns of organizational life and

members' perceptions of them”

Together, culture and climate both exert powerful influences.

Methods

Data Source 26-item fixed response survey instrument Respondents rated characteristics of their immediate work unit,

rather than self-assessments of individual research integrity Work unit: “your department or unit, and the people with whom

you work on a day-to-day basis”

Procedures/Participants 43 health professions faculty from one medical school in the

South.

Data Analysis three one-way ANOVAs principal components factor analysis

Results

ANOVAs: Academic health center faculty consistently rated 'pressure to

publish' as highly characteristic Academic health center faculty rated 'socialization to research

integrity' as relatively uncharacteristic No significant differences by gender or faculty rank.

Factor analysis: Leadership/Communication (10 items for 33% of the variance ) Awareness of IRB Resources and Procedures (5 items for 24%) Faculty Research Productivity (3 items for 14%)

Total variance explained: 71%.

Conclusions

Two primary limitations: small convenience sample of volunteers single-institution research design

Results provide initial insights into dimensions of institutional culture

Help us understand how faculty perceive characteristics of the organizational culture

Help academic leaders understand dimensions of their institution’s campus culture for research integrity