“Crabs in a Bucket” Phenomenon in School Organizations: A Qualitative Research

OpenAlex İngilizce

The aim of this study is to examine the opinions of teachers in schools regarding the “crabs in a bucket” phenomenon. In the research, phenomenological research design was used as one of the qualitative research approaches. The data of the research were gathered through face-to-face interviews with 10 teachers at different public middle schools of Istanbul, Turkey. A semi-structured interview form was used, and content analysis was employed to analyze the data. According to the findings, participants indicated that there were teachers in their schools who did not respect individual differences, engaged in gossip, and made comparisons among teachers to the highest extent. Participants also emphasized that individuals with a crab mentality are those who do not like to work and do not want others to work either. They are described as ambitious people who try to fit others into molds and engage in behaviors such as gossip, criticism, slander, insult, and obstructing others from achieving success.