The role of supervisor support in the relation between organizational culture and employees' conformity to the organizational rules: Research in the aviation sector

The purpose of this study is to determine the effects of the organizational culture tendency in the aviation sector and perceived supervisor support on employees' conformity behaviours to the organizational rules and mediator role of supervisor support in the relation between organizational culture and employees' conformity behaviours to the organizational rules. The sample of the study consists of the employees of private companies at İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport and a Governmental Business Enterprise, General Directorate Of State Airports Authority who carry out the airport operation, regulation and control of air traffic in the air space in Turkey. Three scales were administered to collect data: i) Scale of Organizational Culture developed by Danışman and Özgen (2003), ii) Scale of Supervisor Support developed by Grandey (1999) and adapted to Turkish by Öz in 2007, iii) Scale of Conformity Behaviours developed by Öz (2007) based on Kelman's (1961) definitions of three conformity behaviours. The quantitative data obtained by the questionnaires were analyzed by using the SPSS. After analyzing the sample, validity and reliability analyzes, normality test, factor analysis of the scales were carried out. Afterwards, multiple correlation analysis was conducted to determine the relationship level and direction of the variable of the research. Moreover, T-tests, ANOVA tests and Structural Equation Model (SEM) Path Analysis methods were used through the AMOS 22 program to test the hypotheses. The research results revealed, that hierarchy tendency was the dominant culture in the aviation sector. Hierarchy tendency, supportiveness tendency and development tendency have meaningful implications on employees' conformity behaviours to the organizational rules. In addition, it has been found that supervisor support had a positive impact on conformity behaviours to the organizational rules in the direction of identification, whereas there was as a negative impact in the direction of compliance. Another finding was that the supervisor support had a mediating effect on supportive and development tendency of dimensions of organizational culture. Key Words: Organization Culture, conformity behaviour, organizational rules, supervisor support, Aviation Sector