Browsing by Author "Ilhan, Umit Deniz"

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Employee Benefits Supporting Well-Being at the Intersection of Meaning and Cost: A Sustainability Perspective from Generation Z
(MDPI, 2026) Ilhan, Umit Deniz; Ozkilinc, Damla Nurcan
This study examines how employee benefit practices link employee well-being with financial sustainability in sustainable organization management. Focusing on Generation Z, it investigates the intersection between meaning attributed to employee benefits and managerial decision-making guided by financial rationality. Drawing on human resources management (HRM) and finance perspectives, employee benefits are conceptualized as mechanisms for balancing human-centered value creation and economic resilience. A qualitative design was used, based on semi-structured interviews with 15 Generation Z employees and 20 human resources (HR) and finance managers in T & uuml;rkiye. Data were analyzed through thematic analysis and the Gioia methodology to develop an inductive, multi-level framework. The findings indicate that Generation Z employees view employee benefits as psychosocial resources reflecting justice, autonomy, psychological safety, and value alignment-core components of subjective and eudaimonic well-being-while managers assess them primarily through financial sustainability logics such as cost control and return on investment. Overall, meaning- and cost-oriented perspectives emerge as mutually reinforcing within sustainable organizational systems. The study proposes the Meaning-Cost Balance (MCB) Framework, conceptualizing employee benefits as a strategic management mechanism aligning employee well-being with financial resilience. Positioned at the intersection of HRM and financial sustainability, the framework contributes to sustainable organization management and offers a transferable basis for future comparative research.
Opportunities and Challenges of Asynchronous Video Interviews: Perceptions of Human Resources Professionals from Türkiye
(Public Library of Science, 2025) Ilhan, Umit Deniz; Guler, Burcu Kumbul; Turgut, Dilara; Duran, Cem
In the context of global technological advancements, asynchronous video interviews (AVIs) have emerged as an innovative tool in recruitment, offering potential to transform traditional hiring practices. This study aims to enhance understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with AVIs in recruitment processes by examining the perspectives of human resources (HR) professionals in T & uuml;rkiye. A qualitative research methodology with a phenomenological approach was employed. 15 HR professionals experienced in asynchronous video interviewing from diverse organizations participated in online, open-ended, semi-structured, in-depth interviews. The collected data were analyzed through thematic analysis using MAXQDA 2024. Findings indicated that AVIs offer significant opportunities, such as improving process efficiency, enhancing candidate experience, promoting fairness and inclusivity, and supporting organizational goals. However, the study identified critical challenges, including diminishing candidate experience, undermining fairness and increasing deceptive impression management, reducing job satisfaction among HR professionals, and imposing operational and financial constraints. As one of the first studies to explore HR professionals' perceptions of AVIs in T & uuml;rkiye, this study provides valuable insights into their adoption in developing economies and highlights the broader implications of AVIs in the global recruitment practices. The findings emphasize the need for tailored strategies to maximize benefits, address challenges, and balance the needs of both candidates and HR professionals.
Simultaneous Convergence and Divergence: A Global Generation Paradigm Perspective on Gen Z Work Values
(Int Journal Contemporary Economics & Administrative Sciences, 2025) Ilhan, Umit Deniz; Duran, Cem
This study explores Generation Z's work values through the lens of the global generation paradigm, which argues that digitalization and cross-cultural interaction foster shared value clusters beyond national boundaries. A cross-cultural survey was conducted with 1,934 respondents (ages 18-26) from the USA, Germany, Japan, and T & uuml;rkiye, representing diverse cultural contexts in Hofstede's dimensions of individualism-collectivism and uncertainty avoidance. Work values were assessed using Lyons et al.'s (2010) 32-item scale across four dimensions: instrumental, cognitive, social, and prestige. Analyses (CFA, MANOVA, ANOVA, planned contrasts, ANCOVA) revealed a hybrid pattern of convergence and divergence. Cognitive values such as learning, development, and creativity were consistently emphasized across all countries, supporting the global generation paradigm. However, instrumental, social, and prestige values differed significantly: collectivist cultures (T & uuml;rkiye, Japan) stressed security, belonging, and prestige, while individualist cultures (USA, Germany) prioritized autonomy and achievement. Gender and country x gender interactions showed no significant effects. These findings introduce the notion of 'simultaneous convergence and divergence,' a hybrid conceptual lens that extends the global generation paradigm by reconciling cultural convergence and divergence perspectives. This theoretical contribution provides a more integrative framework for understanding how generational values evolve within both global and local contexts.
Talent Development in Science and Technology Parks (STPs) Within the Context of Sustainable Education Systems: Experiential Learning and Mentorship Practices in a Phenomenological Study
(MDPI, 2025) Ilhan, Umit Deniz; Duran, Cem
The rise of knowledge-based economies has positioned higher education institutions as key actors in human capital development, requiring them to engage more actively with labor markets through strategic partnerships. Within this context, university-affiliated science and technology parks (STPs) have evolved into integrated learning environments that support experiential learning and mentorship practices. This study aims to explore the lived experiences of undergraduate students who participated in these processes within an STP in & Idot;stanbul, T & uuml;rkiye. Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 15 students selected via purposive maximum variation sampling. Thematic analysis, supported by MAXQDA 2024, was used to examine the data. Two main themes were identified: (i) talent development through experiential learning and (ii) talent development through mentorship. The findings indicate that students reconstructed theoretical knowledge through real-world applications, developed a clearer professional identity, and gained strategic career awareness. Mentorship provided both technical and psychosocial support, fostering self-confidence, emotional security, and role modeling. This study concludes that STPs play a strategic role in aligning academic learning with employability and institutional talent development goals. These results contribute to broader educational and workforce development discussions and are closely aligned with Sustainable Development Goals 4 (Quality Education) and 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), highlighting STPs as transformative platforms in higher education. Moreover, this study offers practical implications for aligning higher education with employment systems through structured experiential learning and mentorship practices.
Unique Challenges in the Turkish Workforce: Examining the Impact of Job Demands and Resources on Work-Related Outcomes of Blue- and White-Collar Workers
(Frontiers Media SA, 2025) Ilhan, Umit Deniz; Guler, Burcu Kumbul; Turgut, Dilara; Duran, Cem
Introduction An increasing body of research has explored the impact of job demands and resources on employee wellbeing and performance; however, empirical evidence remains limited regarding how these factors operate in non-Western contexts. Addressing this gap, the present study examines blue-collar (70.7%) and white-collar (29.3%) workers in T & uuml;rkiye, investigating the effects of job demands (quantitative, cognitive, emotional) and job resources (leader support, co-worker support, trust) on emotional exhaustion, job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and intention to leave.Method A total of 563 employees from three large production companies in T & uuml;rkiye voluntarily participated in this study. Data were collected using the Turkish version of the Copenhagen Psychosocial Questionnaire (COPSOQ-III) for all constructs, except for intention to leave, which was assessed using the Michigan Organizational Assessment Questionnaire (MOAQ). The proposed relationships were analyzed through multi-group structural equation modeling (MG-SEM).Results Job demands significantly increased emotional exhaustion in both blue- and white-collar workers. However, while emotional exhaustion did not diminish organizational commitment among blue-collar workers, job satisfaction emerged as a key determinant in reducing their turnover intentions. In contrast, for white-collar workers, emotional exhaustion weakened organizational commitment, ultimately leading to higher turnover intentions. Moreover, job resources enhanced job satisfaction and indirectly reduced turnover intentions for blue-collar workers, whereas these resources did not significantly predict job satisfaction among white-collar workers.Conclusion These findings underscore the importance of tailoring workplace strategies to different occupational groups in a non-Western setting. Strengthening job resources-particularly trust, leader support, and co-worker support-can enhance job satisfaction and reduce turnover risk among blue-collar workers. Conversely, for white-collar workers, mitigating job demands and managing emotional exhaustion are crucial for sustaining organizational commitment. This study contributes to the cross-cultural understanding of job demands and resources, highlighting their differential impact on blue- and white-collar workers in T & uuml;rkiye.
Work Ethics in the History of Turkish Culture in Terms of Its Effect on Work Values: Examples from Divan-I Hikmet
(Selcuk Univ, Inst Turkish Studies, 2024) Ilhan, Umit Deniz
Literary works are concrete reflections of the collective memory in societies in terms of portraying perception, attitudes, and behaviors. They have also taken on the function of carrying the cultural elements they were born into across time and space. Building on this reality, the impact of work ethics on work values in Turkish cultural history has been attempted to be revealed through a qualitative content analysis of Ahmed Yesevi's Divan-& imath; Hikmet, which has been spiritually significant in the Turkish Islamic world for centuries. The analysis indicates that the fundamental qualities dedicated to becoming a complete human in the Divan-& imath; Hikmet, which is the spiritual education of a person on the path to becoming a complete human, correspond to the following characteristics in the working life: i) Upholding justice, ii) valuing continuous learning, iii) working with passion, iv) being reliable, v) being tolerant, vi) showing perseverance, vii) being loving, viii) being optimistic, and xix) being helpful. Thus, it is suggested that within the context of Turkish culture, the principles of a complete human can serve as a guide for work ethics, shaping and influencing the framework of work values.