NCEO Survey Resources

The Ownership Culture Survey

The Ownership Culture Survey (OCS) is the original survey instrument for employee-ownership companies. First developed in 1991 by Ownership Associates, a consulting firm in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the OCS is a comprehensive approach to measuring and understanding a company's "ownership culture"—the set of attitudes, perceptions, and understanding that determines how well employee ownership is being translated from idea to reality.

Using the OCS provides greater depth than the ESOP/Equity Compensation Effectiveness Surveys and is based on a comprehensive theory of ownership in business organizations. Instead of a one-dimensional measure of ownership (i.e., strong or weak) the approach in the OCS more closely approximates the complex and multi-dimensional nature of psychological ownership. This model-based approach ensures that no significant but unexpected viewpoints are overlooked.

Survey results can be "just data": interesting, but almost impossible to use as the basis for action. To be useful, surveys need to be based on a model and their results need to show a company where they fit within that model. Armed with both data and an interpretation of that data, companies can determine their most effective next steps. The OCS uses a framework for ownership culture based on rights and responsibilities. A strong company honors both the positive expectations that employees have for employee ownership and the responsibilities that come with these expectations.

The OCS includes 65 items and generally takes 15 to 20 minutes to complete. It covers the following topics:

• Ownership Identity
• Decision Making
• Information and Learning
• Organizational Fairness
• Accountability
• Work and Pay
• Entrepreneurship
• Trust in Leadership
• Work Atmosphere

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