A Qualitative Study on Informal Roles Assumed in Academic Organizations

Akademik Örgütlerde Üstlenilen ‹nformal Roller Üzerine Nitel Bir Çal›flma

Abstract

This study aims to identify the informal roles that academics play and dis- play in academic organizations, to identify situations where informal roles emerge in academic organizations, and to evaluate the informal role deter- minants and the results of informal roles in terms of academic staff, students, institution, and society. It was designed as a phenomenological study, which is one of the qualitative research designs. The data were collected by review- ing the related literature, consulting expert opinions, and employing a semi- structured interview form after it was piloted first; and then the data were coded by using the interpretive phenomenological approach. The study group consists of 23 volunteer academics working at Süleyman Demirel University. The interpretive phenomenological analysis revealed four themes: situations where informal roles emerged, their determinants, the informational roles undertaken/displayed, and the results of displaying informal roles. On the one hand, academics take some positive roles such as mentoring, acting like a family member, inspiring others, supporting others academically and socially, sharing information, being a opinion leader, con- tributing to society, and enlightening the society. On the other hand, aca- demics were also found to play some negative roles that involve indifference, abuse, unethical behavior, slacking, tyranny, academic selfishness, academic arrogance, positioning themselves in ivory towers, and mongering hope. Academics’ personality traits were identified to be the most important deter- minants of informal roles, and institutional/academic relations, being a member in the same political, religious group, or being from the same hometown were found to lay the ground for informal roles. The positive informal roles assumed in academic organizations resulted in creating a cul- ture of sharing, spiritual pleasure, increase in student success, and socializa- tion of the academic. However, the negative informal roles performed in academic organizations resulted in individual inefficiency, loss of motivation in students, uneasiness in the organization, and isolation from the society.

Özet

Akademisyenlerin akademik örgütlerde üstlendikleri ve sergiledikleri infor- mal rolleri tespit etmek, akademik örgütlerde informal rollerin ortaya ç›kt›- ¤› durumlar› belirlemek, informal rol belirleyicileri ve informal rollerin so- nuçlar›n› akademisyen, ö¤renci, çal›fl›lan kurum ve toplum aç›s›ndan de¤er- lendirmek bu çal›flman›n amac›n› oluflturmaktad›r. Akademik örgütlerde ser- gilenen informal rollerin belirlenmesine yönelik bu çal›flma nitel araflt›rma desenlerinden fenomenolojik analiz ile dizayn edilmifltir. Veriler alanyaz›n taramas›, uzman görüflleri ve pilot uygulamaya dayal› olarak oluflturulan yar› yap›land›r›lm›fl bireysel görüflme formu ile toplanm›fl; yorumlay›c› fenome- nolojik yaklafl›m kullan›larak kodlanm›flt›r. Çal›flma grubu, Süleyman Demi- rel Üniversitesinde çal›flan 23 gönüllü akademisyenden oluflmaktad›r. Yo- rumlay›c› fenomenolojik analizler sonucunda; informal rollerin ortaya ç›kt›- ¤› durumlar, belirleyicileri, üstlenilen/sergilenen informal roller, informal rolleri sergilemenin sonuçlar› olmak üzere dört temaya ulafl›lm›flt›r. Akade- misyenler bir yandan mentörlük yapma, aile gibi olma, ilham kayna¤› olma, akademik ve sosyal anlamda çal›fl›lan kurumdakilere destek olma, bilgiyi pay- laflma, kanaat önderi olma, topluma katk› sa¤lama, toplumu ayd›nlatma gibi birtak›m olumlu roller üstlenmektedir. Di¤er taraftan umursamazl›k, istis- mar etme, etik d›fl› davranma, kaytarma, tiranl›k, akademik bencillik, akade- mik kibir, fildifli kulelerde konumlanma, umut tacirli¤i gibi de birtak›m olumsuz rolleri üstlendikleri ortaya ç›km›flt›r. Akademisyenin kiflilik özellik- lerinin informal rollerin en önemli belirleyicisi oldu¤u; kurumsal ve akade- mik iliflkilerin, ayn› siyasi, dini grup, memlekete mensubiyet gibi durumlar›n informal rollere zemin haz›rlad›¤› tespit edilmifltir. Akademik örgütlerde üst- lenilen olumlu informal roller paylafl›m kültürünün oluflmas›, manevi haz, ö¤rencinin baflar›s›nda art›fl, akademisyenin toplumla kaynaflmas› gibi du- rumlarla sonuçlanm›flt›r. Akademisyenin olumsuz informal rolleri sergileme- si ise bireysel verimsizli¤e, ö¤rencide motivasyon kayb›na, örgütte huzursuz ortam›n oluflmas›na, toplumdan soyutlanmaya neden olmaktad›r.