Dual or dueling culture and commitment: The impact of a tri-hospital merger.
OBJECTIVE
This article addresses differences in RNs' commitment to their employing hospital versus the umbrella corporate organization, and the role of organizational culture during a tri-hospital merger. This study is the first to investigate the construct of dual commitment in healthcare organizations.


BACKGROUND
Fiscal restraints, decreasing reimbursement, and increasing competition have made organizational mergers and acquisitions prevalent. As corporate culture changes, organizational variables previously related to organizational commitment may no longer apply.


METHODS
RNs employed on general nursing units at 3 hospitals involved in a merger process completed 2 versions of Mowday's Organizational Commitment Questionnaire. Commitment to hospital and corporate system were examined. Semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and analysis of company documents assessed the organizational culture changes that have occurred.


RESULTS
Thirty-one percent of the nurses returned completed questionnaires; 9 were interviewed. RNs from the acquiring hospital demonstrated a significantly stronger commitment to the corporate system than the nurses from the acquired hospitals. The RNs at all 3 hospitals showed significantly greater commitment to their own particular hospital than to the umbrella corporate system.


CONCLUSIONS
Moderate level of commitment reflected uncertainty of job status, work overload, and feelings of unappreciation. These attitudes prevent nurses from exerting efforts on behalf of the organization.
Jones
Janice M
JM
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, 14214, USA. jsylakow@buffalo.edu
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D003220:Conflict, Psychological; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D005260:Female; D006273:Health Facility Merger / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006754:Hospital Restructuring / Q000458:organization & administration; D006788:Hospitals, Voluntary; D006801:Humans; D007588:Job Satisfaction; D008875:Middle Aged; D009518:New York; D015404:Nursing Methodology Research; D009741:Nursing Staff, Hospital / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000523:psychology*; D015279:Organizational Culture; D009936:Organizational Innovation; D010558:Personnel Loyalty; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D000078329:Workforce; D016526:Workload