Examination of relationship between cooperativeness and competitiveness tendencies and trust in co-workers in educational institutions

Perceived trust among individuals within organizations creates significant effects on the organizational climate, directly influencing tendencies towards cooperation and competition. Trust in colleagues, considered as a subdimension of organizational trust, is structured around the concepts of cooperation and competition. It is accepted that trust relationships among organizational members have a reinforcing effect on intra-organizational cooperation, while their impact on competition remains unclear. The aim of this study is to address the relationship between trust in colleagues and tendencies toward cooperation and competition in educational organizations, where joint efforts and cooperations are highly prevalent, yet competitive behavior tendencies can also be observed. The findings of the research are expected to contribute both to the literature and to private educational institutions. For this purpose, a survey-based study was conducted with employees of private schools in the central districts of Antalya province. The data obtained were analyzed using the SPSS Statistical Package Program. The importance of the concept of trust in colleagues was evaluated in the context of its effects on cooperation and competition among colleagues. The results of this study reveal the differences between organizational members who perceive trust in one another and those experiencing a lack of trust, and determine the level of impact on cooperation and competition that enhance the quality of educational organizations. The findings of this study are anticipated to contribute to understanding the trust dynamics of colleague relationships, which are less frequently addressed in the organizational trust literature compared to leader-employee relationships. Furthermore, the results of the study are expected to contribute to the Human Resources literature as well.