A well-known extension of Rensis Likert’s Organizational Climate theory came from other organizational behavior scholars who expanded or refined his original dimensions. One notable contributor was Litwin and Stringer (1968), who proposed additional dimensions in their work on organizational climate, building on Likert’s foundation.
They introduced a motivational climate model with 9 dimensions, some of which overlap with Likert’s, but others go beyond his original six. Their added dimensions include:
🟩 Overlapping or Closely Related Dimensions:
| Litwin & Stringer | Related Likert Dimension | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Support | Leadership, Motivation | Likert touches on supportiveness through leadership style. |
| Reward | Motivation | Both address motivation through incentives and recognition. |
| Responsibility | Decision-Making, Control | Both relate to autonomy and accountability. |
| Structure | Control, Communication | Organizational structure affects control mechanisms. |
| Standards | Goal Setting, Control | Performance standards tie to organizational goals and oversight. |
❌ Dimensions not directly covered in Likert’s model:
| Litwin & Stringer | Not in Likert’s Model | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| Risk | ❌ Not covered | Likert doesn’t explicitly consider risk-taking or innovation. |
| Warmth | ❌ Not covered | Emotional tone, friendliness, and interpersonal climate are missing. |
| Conflict | ❌ Not covered | Likert’s model avoids discussing tension or disagreement. |
| Identity | ❌ Not covered | Sense of belonging or alignment with the organization is new. |
🟢 Summary:
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Likert’s model focuses more on systems, processes, and management style.
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Litwin & Stringer added psychosocial and emotional dimensions like risk, warmth, conflict, and identity, which are more about the human experience of the workplace.