Changing perception of work between groups of white-collar and blue-collar professionals working in Turkish defense industry companies – case of Ankara province

The aim of this research is to define the experiences, feelings and thoughts of white-collar and blue-collar employee groups working in Turkish defense industry companies in Ankara province and to determine to what extent the changing contemporary social characteristics affect the job perception of the relevant groups. In this context, qualitative research method was used and data collection process was carried out through face-to-face interviews and open-ended questionnaires with total of 53 people. The analysis of the data was carried out qualitatively by mapping the results to both themes and sub-themes and coding. Perception of work of the relevant groups was divided into 8 main themes (i. Defense Industry as a Sector, ii. Commitment, iii. Career, iv. Meaning of work, v. Trust, vi. Personal Development, vii. Family, viii. Leisure-time Activities) The general job perception of the relevant groups and their differing experiences regarding job perception compared to each other were analyzed. The findings were discussed within the framework of the mentioned theories. In terms of the perception of work,which stands out in post-modern theories of today's society as the business life has lost its meaning, the uncertainty experienced due to the fact that reality is knitted around divided lines, the aimlessness in terms of career, and the insecurity created by flexible working conditions, it has been seen that Turkish defense industry companies mostly do not meet the conditions envisaged by post-modern theories. Job perception has "meaning" for both the white-collar employee group and the blue-collar employee group. However, when the two related groups were analyzed separately, it is observed that they have different approaches to job perception. To sum up, when the job perception is examined through the old traditional career models and the new multi-faceted career models, it is seen that the traditional career understanding is prevalent in the Turkish defense industry employee groups. It is thought that by understanding the job perception of people working in the defense industry, this research can be a pioneer to the studies that will be carried out about this subject. It is predicted that by understanding the job perception dynamics of the employees of defense industry companies, which are of critical importance for our country, they will be able to provide a theoretical infrastructure for the policies to be made in the future. In a global, high-tech, restructured business world, many people today are reconsidering traditional measures of success such as security, career advancement and retirement. Even if this situation is not common in defense industry companies, human resources policies that will keep up with the changing expectations of people today should be examined.