Does Crab Mentality in Universities Draw Strength from Organizational Culture? “If I Can’t Do It, You Can’t Do It Either!”

Authors : Nilüfer Yörük Karakılıç

Pages : 15-28

Doi:10.53478/yuksekogretim.1426548

View : 104 | Download : 78

Publication Date : 2025-04-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :“Crab mentality” refers to a psychological and sociological phenomenon where individuals in the same organization hinder others’ advancement or success. While undesirable, especially in academic settings, this mentality appears to be on the rise. Individuals with this mindset often adopt the perspective of “If I can’t advance, neither can you” or “If I can’t be successful, neither can you.” Occasionally, even management may inadvertently support this mentality. This study focuses on how university organizational cultures may foster crab mentality, both sociologically and psychologically. Data collected from academics at Afyon Kocatepe University were analyzed, with reliability and validity tests conducted. Hypotheses were tested using structural equation modeling. The study found that the “clan culture” dimension of organizational culture influences the cognitive aspect of crab mentality, while “market culture” and “hierarchy culture” impact its affective and behavioral dimensions. Control variables such as gender, marital status, professional title, and seniority significantly affected the relationship between organizational culture and crab mentality.
Keywords : Yengeç Zihniyeti, Üniversitelerde Yengeç Zihniyeti, Örgüt Kültürü, Cameron ve Quinn Örgüt Kültürü Modeli.