Organizational Environments in Costa Rican Public Schools: A Multifactor Analysis

A healthy organizational environment is an essential part of organizational development, particularly, educational settings. The objective of this study is to analyze the organizational environment of public schools in the Heredia Regional Educational Zone (Costa Rica) from a multifactorial perspective. This is a quantitative study with an ex post facto design using a descriptive and cross-cutting approach. The probabilistic sample (n=657) is composed of preschool, elementary and high school teachers. The data for the study was collected through a questionnaire using a validated and reliable scale to assess the study variables. The main results reveal an overall adequate organizational environment from a teacher perspective, characterized by good teacher-principal relationships. However, this was not the case with regards to peer-to-peer teacher relationships which attained lower scores. A key recommendation, based on the study results is to strengthen interpersonal relationships to foster collaborative interactions and teamwork, an essential aspect of any school.