Organizational change and workforce development in long term care

In this paper, Bowers discusses the theoretical and conceptual base of the “culture change” discussion in long-term care. Bowers attempts to define culture and climate and how they each relate to organizational change. Bowers argues that culture has typically been defined and measured by employee attitude and satisfaction, when in fact she defines it as something deeper and less tangible. What is truly being measured in these instances, Bowers suggests, is organizational climate. She discusses three culture change projects (Eden Alternative, Pioneers, and the Wellspring Model), concluding that there is little-to-no empirical evidence supporting such efforts and that research needs to been continued in this area to improve the overall quality of long-term care.