Abstract:

The aim of this study is to find out in what ways the organizational trust and academic self-efficacy perceptions of university students affect overall cynicism and unethical behavior tendencies. For this purpose, the data was gathered by a survey applied on a sample from 491 students studying at Adnan Menderes University and Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University. By using random sampling method, the data was obtained through the scales presented with five point Likert scale. While organizational trust variable was assessed by two sub-dimensions as trust to the university administration and trust to friends; the variables of academic self-efficacy perception, overall cynicism and unethical behaviors were evaluated in one dimension. The data obtained was analyzed by factor analysis, reliability analysis, correlation analysis and regression analysis. Research findings show that whilst academic self-efficacy perception and trust to administration affect the overall cynicism significantly in a positive way; trust to friends affects the overall cynicism significantly in a negative way. Besides, while academic self-efficacy perception affects the unethical behaviors significantly in a negative way; no significant relation was found between organizational trust and unethical behaviors and overall cynicism. Furthermore, no mediator role of academic self-efficacy was determined in the relationships between organizational trust-overall cynicism and organizational trust-unethical behaviors.

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