Part 1 of this paper presents some logical and conceptual distinctions between job satisfaction and organizational climate, the former being viewed as micro, evaluative, individual perceptions of personal events and experiences the latter as macro, relatively descriptive, organizational level perceptions that are abstractions of organizational practices and procedures. Part 2 proposes a formal definition of climate as meaningful perceptions (concepts) people share and which function to help adapt people to their organization. The Structuralism, Functionalism, and Gestalt schools of psychology were each reviewed, and the implications of each school were indicated for the definition of climate and climate research methods and theory. Perhaps the most interesting "finding" was a hypothesis derived from Functionalism on the impact of an organization's "climate for individual differences" on individual attribute--individual performance relationships. Some conditions leading to a "climate for individual differences" in which individual differences in performance should be predictable were identified. (A 10-page list of references is included.) (Author)