You measure the innovation climate using a validated tool that assesses the day-to-day work atmosphere across the dimensions that predict creativity and change—such as challenge, freedom, trust, time for ideas, and willingness to take risks. The international standard for this is the Situational Outlook Questionnaire (SOQ), based on fifty years of research by Göran Ekvall and Scott Isaksen. The assessment reveals where the climate fosters innovation and where it hinders it, and provides leaders with concrete levers to make adjustments.
Climate is not a synonym for culture.
In practice, the terms are often used interchangeably, but in organizational psychology they refer to different constructs, with different time horizons and different measurement methods. Ekvall (1987) and, later, Schein (2010) describe the distinction as follows: culture is the deep structure of shared values, beliefs, and unspoken assumptions that define an organization’s identity—relatively stable, slow to change, and often not explicitly articulable by the members themselves. Climate is what people experience on a daily basis at the surface of that culture: the recurring patterns of behavior, attitude, and feeling that characterize working life. In Schein’s terminology, climate is an artifact of culture—more visible, more readily measurable, and significantly more influenceable within the timeframe in which an organization operates.
Ekvall’s classic definition states: climate is the totality of recurring patterns of behavior, attitudes, and feelings that characterize life within an organization. It is not an individual perception, but an organizational characteristic shared by its members and empirically demonstrable as a distinct layer between individual behavior and organizational outcomes.
The dimensions
Nine dimensions, each with its own definition.
The nine dimensions are the result of repeated factor analyses conducted over several decades and have remained substantively stable since Version IV (1995). Eight of them are positively formulated: a higher score indicates a climate that better supports innovative and meaningful work. Conflict is the only inverse dimension.
01 Challenge & Involvement
The degree of emotional investment and personal commitment to the organization’s goals and operations.
02 Freedom
The independence people experience in shaping their own work, taking initiative, and making choices about how tasks are carried out.
03 Trust & Openness
The emotional safety in relationships within the organization: can people speak freely and honestly without fear that this openness will be abused?
04 Idea Time
The amount of time people can and are allowed to spend developing new ideas, separate from carrying out existing tasks.
05 Playfulness & Humor
The spontaneity and relaxed atmosphere evident in the work environment—a climate in which lightheartedness and humor are permitted.
06 Conflict (INVERS)
The presence of personal and emotional tensions—as opposed to substantive debate. This is the only dimension where a low score is desirable.
07 Idea Support
The way in which new ideas are received: with constructive attention and constructive feedback, or ignored and tacitly dismissed.
08 Debate
The extent to which differing opinions, experiences, and perspectives actually clash and are explored in depth.
09 Risk-Taking
The tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity: can new initiatives be undertaken without fear of negative consequences in the event of failure?
Comparison of Measurement Tools
There are many tools in circulation that measure “something” about culture or atmosphere: engagement surveys, eNPS, and custom-built questionnaires. While these have their uses, they fall short in three key areas when it comes to the innovation climate: they measure satisfaction rather than the conditions for creativity; they lack scientific validation across the relevant dimensions; and they do not provide a benchmark.
The Situational Outlook Questionnaire (SOQ) was specifically designed to measure the climate for creativity and change, across precisely the nine dimensions listed above. The tool is available in dozens of languages, has been validated in peer-reviewed research, and combines quantitative scores with open-ended questions—so you not only know that “idea time” scores low, but also why people experience it that way. Because the SOQ can be broken down by team or department, you can also see exactly where in the organization the climate is problematic.
An SOQ process is guided by a certified SOQ practitioner, who sets up the assessment, interprets the results, and facilitates feedback to teams and leadership.
From Measurement to Action
A climate assessment isn’t a thermometer to be tucked away in a drawer—its value lies in what comes next.
Feedback to the teams themselves. The results belong to the people who completed the survey. A good feedback session allows teams to interpret for themselves why the scores are what they are and what needs to change.
Leadership behavior as a lever. Every dimension can be traced back to specific leadership behaviors. If support for ideas scores low, the question is: what actually happens in this organization when someone comes up with an idea? Leaders who understand their organizational climate can act as “climate architects” to make targeted adjustments—read more about this in our articles on facilitating leadership.
Repeat the assessment. The climate is constantly evolving. By reassessing after twelve to eighteen months, you can see whether interventions are working and keep the topic on the agenda.
Link it to a broader innovation process. A climate assessment is the ideal baseline measurement for anyone who wants to systematically build innovation capacity: it tells you where to start and makes progress demonstrable.
Get Started Yourself
Want to know how your organization scores in terms of its climate for creativity and change? o2c2 guides SOQ assessments from intake to action plan, with certified practitioners and benchmarks drawn from fifty years of research. Schedule an appointment for a no-obligation introductory meeting.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does a climate assessment take?
The questionnaire itself takes about twenty minutes per employee: 53 scale items and three open-ended questions, completed online in the employee’s own language. The entire process—design, assessment, analysis, and feedback—typically takes three to six weeks.
What is the minimum team size for the SOQ to be useful?
From a single team to an entire organization. For reliable team scores, a minimum of about eight respondents per unit is required; we combine smaller groups at a higher aggregation level.
How does this differ from an employee satisfaction survey?
Satisfaction measures whether people are happy—an assessment of the present. Work climate measures whether the environment enables new and meaningful work—a prerequisite for the future. A team can be completely satisfied yet structurally uninnovative; it is precisely this divergence that the SOQ reveals. The assessment therefore does not replace your satisfaction survey; it complements it.
Are the responses anonymous?
Yes. No one sees individual responses—not even the facilitator. You will receive only the team profile: nine dimension scores compared to benchmarks, plus the anonymized analysis of the open-ended questions. The results belong to your team and will not be shared with anyone without your explicit consent.
What happens after the assessment?
During a feedback session, you’ll receive a report with your team’s nine-dimension scores, compared against benchmarks from demonstrably innovative and stagnant organizations, and supplemented with a qualitative analysis of the responses to the open-ended questions. We’ll first discuss the results with you, then spend half a workday with the team, where the data will be translated into concrete agreements. A follow-up assessment after six to twelve months will show what has actually changed.
How much does a climate assessment cost?
The initial assessment costs €50 per participant plus a €350 processing fee. The feedback session (2 hours) and the half-day workshop cost €850—so €1,700 for a team of ten (excl. VAT), including a comprehensive report with dimension scores, benchmarks, and the analysis of the open-ended questions. Those who want to go further can build on this: a guided intervention program consisting of three sessions (€3,500–5,500) or a semi-annual re-assessment (€35 per person + €400). You can start at the level that best suits your organization’s current needs.
