Relationships as Conduits of Organizational Culture in Temporary Placement Agencies

Most empirical research on organizational culture focuses on examining the influence of culture on individual and organizational outcomes (Bate, 1984; Chatman, 1991a, 1991b; O’Reilly, Chatman, & Caldwell, 1991; Saffold, 1988; Wilkins & Ouichi, 1983). Other research in the organizational culture area attempts to define (Schein, 1983, 1990), operationalize (Beyer & Trice, 1987; Hofstede, Neuijen, Ohyav, & Sanders, 1990; Rousseau, 1990; Trice & Beyer, 1984), or classify organizational culture research into theoretical camps (Allaire & Firsirotu, 1984; Barley, Meyer, & Gash, 1988; Sackmann, 1992; Smircich, 1983). This research reveals the potential influence of culture on individual and organizational outcomes, including the economic success of the organization. However, our current understanding of organizational culture primarily focuses on examining culture in organizations characterized by long-term, full-time employment relationships. Contingent employment relationships that are short term with varying work schedules and significantly lower wages (Belous, 1989; Bureau of Labor Statistics, 1995) are becoming quite common in many organizations. Contingent employment has increased by 577%, whereas overall employment has grown only 41% from 1982 to 1998 (General Accounting Office, 2000). In