The rights and wrongs, ups and downs and ins and outs of organisational culture in Australian public hospitals

Assessments of organisational cultures in Australian public hospitals are required by national standards. However, detailed guidance on how to evaluate organisational cultures is currently lacking. Here, Churruca et al. examine public sector surveys used in public hospitals to assess organisational cultures. A thematic analysis of 597 items from seven surveys showed differences in the coverage of constructs; although most surveys included measures of job satisfaction and organisational values such as equity and improvement, few items had a specific healthcare focus. Dissemination and use of findings also differed across states. Despite numerous organisational culture surveys, policy only supports their use for annual monitoring. Hospital management and policymakers should consider how to increase their substantive value by improved response rates and including more items specific to healthcare.