Navigating organizational culture: The impact on cognitive dissonance, satisfaction, and well-being of Turkish workers

Abstract

The study’s purpose is to understand the influence of two culture types - Hierarchy Culture (HC) and Adhocracy Culture (AC)—on employee outcomes - cognitive dissonance (CD), employee satisfaction (ES), and employee well-being (EWB). The aim of the research is to understand these dynamics especially in Turkish organizations to provide managerial insights that minimizes negative outcomes for employees. A self-administered questionnaire was used to gather data from 380 participants working in Türkiye. After collecting data, statistical analyses such as Cronbach’s alpha, t-tests, ANOVA, correlation, and regression analysis were employed to explore the relationship between the variables. Findings indicate that HC has a strong positive relationship with cognitive dissonance, however, it has a weak positive relationship with employee satisfaction and well-being. Whereas AC shows a moderate negative relationship with cognitive dissonance and a moderate positive relationship with employee satisfaction. Moreover, AC also demonstrates a weak negative effect on employee well-being. The results suggest that hierarchical cultures may contribute to psychological discomfort, but it also increases levels of satisfaction and wellbeing. This could be due to HC’s ability to offer predictability. In contrast, AC fosters a flexible culture which reduces CD but may result in uncertainty which can lead to stress. These results offer valuable insight into the dynamics of Turkish workplaces. The importance of aligning organizational cultures with employee expectations to enhance productivity and wellbeing of the employees can be seen through the findings.