Social Identity and Collective Action : Two Case Studies of Unionization in the Turkish Information Technologies (IT) Sector

Abstract

Information Technology (IT) workers are widely considered as incompatible with the practices and goals of unionization. Unionism in the IT sector has become even more difficult where socio-economic conditions and union legislation constitute another obstacle to development, as with the case of Turkey. A primary motivation of this study has been the gap in the research dedicated to the critical evaluation of the relationship between collective action and worker attitudes in the specific Turkish IT context. This study focuses on two contrasting cases of unionization in the Turkish IT sector; one of which was successful (UNIBEL), the other unsuccessful (IBM Turk). This study primarily explores answers to two questions: 1) How did IBM Turk and UNIBEL workers engage in collective actions?; and 2) How did the specific individual, group-based and contextual dynamics play a role in the different unionization outcomes of these two cases? This study argues that IT workers are likely to unionize when being and acting as a union member is consistent with their individual and group identity, and when they fit with the social environment of unionism. The social identity perspective provides an incorporated approach by considering an interaction between workers, their groups, cognitions and their social contexts. A variety of data is based on comparative case study and collected with in-depth, semi-structured and group interviews with IT workers, union experts and academicians. In general, the research findings demonstrated the significant effect of worker s identification with a social group on their decision to or not to engage in collective action. The research findings also indicated the importance of social and political contextual factors in both cases. Overall, group dynamics and social contextual factors significantly led to negative perceptions and decreased the likelihood that IT workers would participate in union action.