Perceptions about Gossip and Rumours in Academic Organizations

Gossip and rumour, as forms of informal communication in academic organization have attracted little research attention in the literature. This paper examines the perceptions of Turkish academics of gossip and rumours, gossip topics and their relationship with certain organizational cultural issues. A web-based questionnaire was sent to 356 academics working in the communications field. The findings revealed that gossip and rumours are quite common in academic organizations. Internal gossip and rumours are perceived to be more common than the external gossip and rumours. Gossips and rumours about the management and the personnel rights are among the top topics. On the other hand, academics generally have negative opinions about gossip and rumours. However, such negative opinions about gossip and rumours were found to decrease when the perceived organizational democracy and internal communication levels increase. It is clear that academic administrators may not cope with gossip and rumours successfully unless they improve democratic participation and internal communication.

Investigation of the Relationship between Organizational Democracy and Job Stress Level Perceptions of Administrators and Teachers

This study aims to determine the relationship between the levels of work stress and the democratic perceptions of principals and teachers. The research was conducted in public schools located in Isparta. Correlational research design is followed.Interestingly, participants’ perceptions of accountability for their superiors significantly predict the job stress levels of administrators and teachers positively. This can be interpreted as the perception of accountability increases, job stress increases. The fact that principals and teachers are supervised frequently by their managers, who gives importance to accountability, may cause pressure them. Additionally, it was observed that the perception of justice and equality significantly predicted the stress levels of teachers and administrators negatively. This finding can be interpreted that the increase in the fair attitude of the managers towards the employees and demonstrating equal behaviors cause a lower level of work stress.Moreover, the gender of principals and teachers predicted work stress significantly. It was determined that male participants’ perception of job stress was higher than female participants. However, the seniority of administrators and teachers did not significantly predict the perception of work stress. Finally, the transparency and participation dimension of the organizational democracy did not significantly predict the job stress levels of administrators and teachers. This may be a result of a centralized organizational structure.Based on the research findings, recommendations were given to reduce the work stress experienced by principals and teachers and develop a culture of democracy in educational organizations.

Unlocking employee value by forming an open strategy

Purpose This paper aims to review the latest management developments across the globe and pinpoint practical implications from cutting-edge research and case studies. Design/methodology/approach This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the articles in context. Findings This conceptual paper focuses on the relationship between the advancement of an open strategy and organizational democracy. The study reveals that both hierarchical and democratic organizational structures experience their own forms of tension. Hence organizational democracy in itself is not a panacea, and some rules are still needed for such an arrangement to operate reasonably efficiently. Openness is enhanced by an organization fostering greater inclusion, transparency, shared decision-making, and a supportive organizational culture, which are more likely to be consistent features of democratic organizations than of hierarchical ones. Yet hierarchical organizations can structurally enhance their openness with rule-based flexibility built-in. Original/value The briefing saves busy executives, strategists and researchers hours of reading time by selecting only the very best, most pertinent information and presenting it in a condensed and easy-to-digest format.

Organizational Democracy in the Private Sector: A Field Research

The process of organizational democracy involves a process of associating employees’ participation and satisfaction in business processes, increased innovation, increased stakeholder engagement and ultimately increased organizational performance. Organizations and the people that form the organization adapt democracy to achieve social and economic goals by making use of the blessings of democracy. In this way, they aim to reach their goals and to include all members of the organization in the process while achieving these goals, and to sustain the stability. The main purpose of this study is to analyze the democracy perceptions of blue and white collar employees in the private sector through organizational democracy scales, by using various variables and to contribute to the existing literature. The sample of the study constitutes 209 people, white and blue collar employees at various levels in medium and large scale enterprises in the Manisa Organized Industrial Zone in Turkey. As a result of the study, it is seen that married employees and employees who think that their expertise in the job is good have the power to criticize their businesses and exhibit participation. In addition, it has been concluded that employees that are high school graduates see management fairer in terms of salary than other graduates. Another finding in the study is about the size of the pre-work life centers of the workplace. Perceptions and attitudes of the people living in metropolitan and provincial center metros before work observed that more equality was observed in the workplaces than those living in the district centers.

Open strategy: role of organizational democracy

PurposeA core premise of the paper is that participative, democratic organizational forms have a direct effect on openness. A key proposition is that organizational forms that promote inclusion, transparency and shared decision-making more broadly as part of their structure and culture would enhance greater openness. However, democratic forms are not a panacea when it comes to openness, there are inherent paradoxes, leading to inevitable tradeoffs that democratic organizations must manage.Design/methodology/approachThe theoretical framework in the study explores the interaction between open strategy making and organizational democracy. This paper reviews the literature on open strategy and organizational democracy and presents propositions linking openness and elements of democratic organizations.FindingsOpen strategy requires a level of inclusion and transparency not typically associated with hierarchical organizations. This paper proposed that an organizational context where there are institutionalized processes that promote both transparency and inclusiveness, shared decision-making and a supportive organizational culture would promote openness. At the same time, these organizations need to manage key paradoxes associated with organizational democracy to benefit from its positive effect on openness. The idea is not that hierarchies cannot be open; they may simply need to be more creative and work harder at providing the scaffolding for participation.Research limitations/implicationsThis is a conceptual paper and we cannot make any claims of causality. It is also possible to refine the framework by adding or eliminating some of the conceptual variables.Practical implicationsOpening up the strategy process to non-traditional stakeholders can improve the strategy formation process. Non-traditional stakeholders can bring new insight, and be motivated and prepared for strategy implementation when they are part of the strategy formation process. Organizations need to focus on creating a climate that supports openness by emphasizing structural forms that promote openness. Sharing decision-making, profits and creating a democratic culture are important for successful openness. In addition, organizations need to manage the tradeoffs that arise as they link organizational democracy to openness.Originality/valueThis paper discusses the link between open strategy and organizational democracy. The research sheds light on how organizational forms, specifically structure affects openness, as well as the limits to structure and openness.