Do organizational cultures of Canadian medical schools promote a quality culture?

Purpose: Medical schools are expected to engage in ongoing reflection to maintain the quality of the education they deliver, that is, to cultivate a Quality Culture. Quality Culture integrates the culture of an organization with its structure and management processes. The culture of medical schools has not been previously studied. Organizational cultures can be identified using the Competing Value Questionnaire, and classified into four types, based on organizations' climate, leader style, reward systems, and strategic emphasis. Clan and Open cultures are typically positively associated with quality improvement. This study identifies the dominant organizational cultures of Canadian medical schools. Method: Sixteen of the 17 Canadian medical schools were invited to participate; one school was excluded due to ongoing accreditation activities. Faculty members of participating schools were surveyed. Results: Eleven (69%) schools participated. Nine had a dominant Hierarchical culture; two had a dominant Clan culture. Conclusions: Only two schools had a Clan culture, which might better support ongoing reflections on quality improvement. Schools leaders should examine the staff climate, leadership style, rewards system, and strategic emphasis in place at their school; these will provide clues to the existing culture and help prioritize changes required to support the implementation of a Quality Culture.