Social network and organizational power distance: A mixed method research on lecturers

The aim of this research is to compare the organizational power distance perceptions of the faculty members working at A University, which is a public university in Turkey, with the social networks they have established with their colleagues at the university. In the quantitative dimension of the research carried out with the mixed method, the research population consists of 1848 lecturers working at A University, one of the public universities in Turkey, in the 2020-2021 academic year. The sample of the research consists of 319 lecturers. 385 lecturers from 30 academic units, 14 faculties and 16 colleges/vocational schools, were included in the research. In the qualitative dimension of the research, 27 of 34 teaching staff working in the C Department of the B Faculty of the A University were included in the study group. Mixed Method Combination Design (Convergent Parallel Design) was used in the research; within this context, the quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis processes were carried out simultaneously and the data analysis results were integrated. The "Social Network Tendencies Scale", developed by Cohen, Klein, Daly, and Finnigan (2011) and adapted into Turkish by Er (2017), was used to collect quantitative data on social networking tendencies in the quantitative dimension of the study. In the research, the "Organizational Power Distance Scale" developed by Yorulmaz, Çolak, Altınkurt and Yılmaz (2018) was preferred in order to measure the power distance within the organization. In the qualitative dimension of the research, "Organizational Power Distance Interview Form" and "Social Network Analysis Interview Form" developed by the researcher were used. In the analysis of the data obtained in the research; the analysis of quantitative data was carried out with the SPSS 21 program. In the study, the general social network tendency and general organizational power distance perception of the participants, the organizational power distance perception of the participants according to the academic title variable and the analyzes of the social network tendency, were made. Finally, statistical analyzes were performed to determine the difference between social network tendency and organizational power distance perception. The analysis of the participants' views on organizational power distance was analyzed with the MAXQDA 2022 program, and the social network analysis data was analyzed with the UCINET 6.0 program. As for the research findings; in the quantitative dimension, it was concluded that the general social network tendency levels of the lecturers were high, and the participants had the highest perception of "desire to establish a connection". It was determined that the general organizational power distance perceptions of the lecturers were at a moderate level, and the participants had the highest perception of "consent to power". It was concluded that the social network tendencies of the lecturers did not differ according to the academic title variable, but the organizational power distance differed significantly in favor of the research assistants. Finally, it was found that there was no significant relationship between the general social network tendencies of the lecturers and their perception of organizational power distance. In the qualitative part of the research, four themes were reached based on the views on Organizational Power Distance: acceptance of power, instrumental use of power, legitimation of power, and consent to power. The views of the participants on accepting power the most support the quantitative data. In the social network analysis, it was seen that the professional relations network has a more intense network structure than the friendship network. This result, it has been determined that individuals have a high desire to connect, confirming the quantitative dimension. In the social network structure, unlike the quantitative dimension, it has been concluded that professors and research assistants are at the center of the network. In the research, it is seen that the results of quantitative and qualitative data analysis confirm each other at many points, and two basic results have been reached when quantitative and qualitative data analyzes are integrated within the scope of mixed method research. These are; (1) Faculty members perceive the organizational power distance in the university at a medium-high level. (2) lecturers have a high tendency to establish professional relationships and friendship networks with their colleagues. It is expected that this study will contribute to the literature, policy makers related to higher education administration, top management of the university, academics and researchers.