The SydSen Group is proud to announce the development and upcoming pilot of SOCCA (SydSen Organisational Culture & Climate Assessment), an industry-first assessment tool designed to measure and align both organisational culture and climate — two of the most influential yet often misunderstood drivers of business performance.

SOCCA is being developed as part of an advanced PhD research project conducted by one of SydSen’s senior industrial psychologists, marking a rare convergence of academic rigour and practical business application.

Why SOCCA?

Organisations today operate in complex environments marked by rapid technological disruption, hybrid workforces, and shifting employee expectations. In this context, understanding both culture (the shared values and norms that shape behaviour) and climate (the perceived environment and emotional tone of the workplace) has become mission-critical.

“We’ve seen that culture and climate are often conflated or assessed in isolation. Yet, the interplay between the two often determines the real experience of employees — and the trajectory of the business,” explains the SOCCA research lead.

SOCCA bridges this gap by providing a dual-lens assessment that examines both what organisations are (culture) and how people feel about working there (climate).

Built on Academic Foundations, Designed for Business

What makes SOCCA unique is its methodological depth and practical utility. The framework is rooted in established models such as the Competing Values Framework (CVF) and Positive Organisational Scholarship (POS), yet goes further by integrating climate theory and lived-experience data across industries.

The tool is being developed and validated through a mixed-methods PhD study, including:

• Quantitative surveys across multiple business units and industries

• Qualitative interviews with employees, leaders, and HR teams

• Factor analysis and benchmark modelling to identify meaningful patterns

Unlike traditional culture audits that yield generic results, SOCCA aims to produce contextualised insights that organisations can act on immediately — whether through leadership development, employee engagement strategies, or structural redesigns.

Piloting SOCCA Across the SydSen Network

SydSen will begin piloting SOCCA across a curated sample of clients from sectors including automotive, retail, finance, and professional services in both South Africa and the Middle East.

Each pilot site will receive:

• A full SOCCA diagnostic report

• Visualised data showing alignment or divergence between desired and experienced culture

• Insights into how climate perceptions affect team dynamics and productivity

• Workshop facilitation by industrial psychologists to translate findings into practical action

This process is not only a test of the instrument but an opportunity for participating organisations to shape a tool that could define a new standard in organisational diagnostics.

Why It Matters: Culture and Climate as Strategic Assets

Data from McKinsey, PwC, and the Harvard Business Review repeatedly show that companies with aligned and adaptive cultures outperform peers in revenue growth, innovation, and retention. Similarly, a positive organisational climate is closely tied to:

• Higher employee engagement

• Lower absenteeism

• Faster change adoption

• Stronger customer satisfaction

Yet, most companies still rely on outdated surveys or external benchmarks that fail to capture the complexity of their internal environments.

SOCCA addresses this gap, offering scientifically validated, organisation-specific insights to help leaders:

• Identify misalignments

• Prioritise strategic interventions

• Track progress over time

A Milestone for SydSen’s Thought Leadership

The development of SOCCA reinforces SydSen’s commitment to evidence-based consulting and second curve innovation — solutions designed not only for today’s problems, but for tomorrow’s possibilities.

“This initiative isn’t just about launching a product. It’s about contributing to the academic and professional conversation around what makes organisations thrive — and doing so with data, not assumptions,” says the research lead.

The PhD project underpinning SOCCA is being peer-reviewed and will form the basis of multiple future publications and academic presentations. This positions SydSen at the forefront of applied organisational psychology in Africa and the Middle East.

Want to Get Involved?

Organisations interested in participating in the SOCCA pilot programme can reach out to SydSen Consult. Priority will be given to:

• Mid-sized and large organisations undergoing transformation

• Teams with a recent leadership change or restructuring

• Companies looking to future-proof their culture in the face of rapid industry shifts

📧 Email: [email protected]
📍 Offices in Gauteng, Western Cape, and Dubai

Looking Ahead

As SOCCA enters pilot phase, SydSen is already looking toward the future — developing AI-powered reporting, benchmark dashboards, and climate pulse tools for real-time tracking.

Ultimately, SOCCA is more than a tool. It’s a new way of seeing the organisation — one that honours both the hard systems and the human experience.