Abstract

Organisational culture is a result of the society’s cultural dynamics in which organisations are included and represents the set of values and practices expressed through habits and beliefs common to workers. This is a descriptive study with quantitative approach developed with the objective of to analyse the values and practices that determine the organisational culture of Brazilian hospitals in the perspective of nursing workers. The data collection instrument comprised the Brazilian Instrument for Assessing Organisational Culture3. Data were collected from July 2013 to January 2015, at two general hospitals (public and private) and one psychiatric hospital. Sample was composed by 337 workers of which 81 (24%) nurses and 256 (76%) nursing auxiliaries and technicians. The nursing workers’ perceptions of the three hospitals showed organisational values of rigid hierarchy and centralization of power in the workplace, closely related to the traditional work organisation model adopted. Values concerning workers’ well-being, satisfaction and motivation, and practices related to the promotion of interpersonal relationship, continuous education and rewarding were not highly valued in the hospitals. Traditional models of work organisation are based on the logic of legal authority inherited from the classic administration and characterised by hierarchical and authoritative structures, in which communication and interpersonal relationships are formalised, tasks are fragmented, organisation and work processes are emphasised and individual autonomy is devalued. This context exposes the workers to different stressful factors, representing a psychosocial risk to the workers’ health. Unfavourable conditions at work can cause psychological suffering and occupational mental disorders like anxiety, depression and burnout syndrome. These worksite characteristics also strengthen the fragmentation of healthcare and hinder interdisciplinary actions and teamwork, compromising the quality of care.