Perceived Internal Union Democracy And Union Cynicism: Evidence From Union-Member Public Officials in Türkiye

This study examines the relationship between perceived internal union democracy and union cynicism among union-member public officials in Muğla (Türkiye). Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected online from members affiliated with different unions (N = 236). Perceived internal union democracy and union cynicism were measured using established scales, and hypotheses were tested via Pearson correlation and simple linear regression. The results indicate a strong, negative association between internal union democracy and overall union cynicism (r = −0.787, p < .01). Regression analyses further show that internal union democracy explains a substantial proportion of variance in cynicism (R² = 0.619), with a stronger association for the cognitive-affective component (R² = 0.670) than for the behavioural component (R² = 0.077). These findings suggest that the effective functioning of internal union democracy-reflected in transparency, participation, and accountability-may play a critical role in limiting members' distrust and negative orientations towards unions. The study contributes to debates on union legitimacy and highlights the importance of democratic mechanisms for sustaining union-member relations.