The effect of high school teachers' synergistic management perceptions on organizational culture and organizational learning perceptions

This study investigates the relationship between teachers' perceptions of synergistic management and organizational learning through organizational culture in secondary education institutions. Conducted using the relational comparison model, the population of this research comprises 8,155 teachers working in 163 official secondary education institutions in the central districts of Gaziantep during the 2021-2022 academic year. Cluster sampling was used as the sampling method; through this method, communication was established with the administrators of 80 selected schools, and attempts were made to apply the study to 1,006 teachers working in these schools. However, due to the teachers' reluctance to participate in the research, data could only be collected from 517 teachers, of which 482 were found suitable for analysis. The data collection tools used in the research include the "Synergistic Management Scale," the "Organizational Culture Scale," the "Organizational Learning Scale," and a "Personal Information Form" to determine the demographic characteristics of the teachers. The data obtained were analyzed using SPSS 22.0 and MPlus software packages. Descriptive statistics and confirmatory factor analyses (CFA) were applied to the scales during the data analysis phase. Arithmetic means, standard deviations, minimum and maximum values, and participation rates were examined concerning teachers' perceptions of the variables. To reveal the relationships between synergistic management, organizational culture, and organizational learning, a correlation test was conducted. Teachers' perceptions of synergistic management, organizational culture, and organizational learning variables were examined concerning demographic characteristics. Following this analysis, the measurement models of the variables and then the level at which one variable predicts the other were examined using the structural equation model. Lastly, the mediating roles of synergistic management between organizational culture and organizational learning were investigated. According to the research results, teachers' perceptions of synergistic management, overall and in its sub-dimensions of Leadership, Employees, Legislation, Institutional Culture, and Communication; organizational culture, overall and in its sub-dimensions of Power Culture, Role Culture, Achievement Culture, and Support Culture; and organizational learning, overall and in its sub-dimensions of Trust and Collaborative Climate, Shared and Observed Vision, Initiative vii and Risk-taking, and Ongoing Interrelated Professional Development, were all at the "Agree" level. Moreover, a statistically positive and significant relationship was found between these three variables. When examining the relationships between synergistic management, organizational culture, and organizational learning variables, it was found that there is a high-level, positive, and significant relationship between synergistic management and organizational culture. The research results indicate a high-level, positive, and significant relationship between organizational culture and organizational learning and between synergistic management and organizational learning. No significant differences were found regarding the variables of educational status, school type, and marital status. Significant differences were identified in terms of gender, professional seniority, and employment type. It was found that women had higher perceptions concerning gender, participants with 1-5 years of professional seniority had higher averages than those with 11-15 and 16-20 years, and participants with 6-10 years had higher averages than those with 11-15 years. Regarding employment type, contract teachers had higher perceptions than permanent teachers. Teachers' perceptions of synergistic management and organizational culture positively and significantly predict their perceptions of organizational learning. In conclusion, it was found that organizational culture perceptions have a mediating role in the positive and significant prediction of teachers' perceptions of organizational learning by their perceptions of synergistic management. Keywords: Knowledge, Synergistic Management, Organizational Culture, Organizational Learning