The relationship between teachers' reasons for union membership and their perceptions of organizational opposition

This study aims to determine the relationship between the reasons for union membership and the perceptions of organizational opposition among teachers who are union members and work at all levels of public and private schools. The research was designed using the correlational survey model, one of the quantitative research methods. The study population consisted of 8,600 teachers in the city center of Elazig during the 2023-2024 academic year, while the sample included 383 teachers who voluntarily participated in the study. Since the research involved two different variables, two separate scales were used for data collection: The "Reasons for Union Organization Scale" developed by Uğurlu and Arslan (2020) and the "Organizational Opposition Scale" adapted by Dağlı (2015). Since the data showed a normal distribution, parametric tests were used in the analysis. According to the study results, teachers' perceptions of the reasons for union organization were at the "Agree" level (x̄=3.37), while their perceptions of organizational opposition were at the "Strongly Agree" level (x̄=3.37). Significant differences were found in the sub-dimensions and overall scale regarding the reasons for teachers' union membership in terms of gender, age, professional experience, marital status, educational status, and place of residence. Significant differences were also found in teachers' perceptions of organizational opposition concerning age, professional experience, and educational status, but no significant differences were found concerning gender, marital status, and place of residence. It was determined that there is a weak negative relationship between teachers' reasons for union membership and their perceptions of organizational opposition. The correlation analysis revealed that teachers' reasons for union membership negatively explain 3.7% of the variance in their perceptions of organizational opposition and negatively affect organizational opposition by 19.3%. The study determined that teachers' reasons for union membership have a negative correlation with their perceptions of organizational dissent. It is recommended that unions adopt a more transparent and participatory policy to better understand and constructively manage their members' perceptions of dissent. Considering that organizational dissent perceptions vary based on variables such as age, professional seniority, and educational background, it is crucial for educational administrators to adopt a more inclusive management approach that takes these differences into account. Particularly, enhancing the organizational policy perceptions of younger teachers by giving more weight to their opinions is essential. This study is one of the limited research efforts examining the relationship between reasons for union membership and perceptions of organizational dissent. Future research is recommended to include broader studies involving teachers from different provinces and educational levels, thereby offering a more comprehensive perspective on the subject. Keywords: Teacher, Organization, Union, Organizational Opposition