Organizational metadehumanization and mechanistic self-dehumanization: The role of surface acting

Abstract

This research examines the relationship between metadehumanization, that is, perceiving dehumanizing treatments, and self-dehumanization, that is, perceiving oneself as less than human. We argue that, in work settings, this relationship can be explained through a behavioral mechanism. Specifically, organizational metadehumanization would drive employees to engage in more emotional labor (i.e., surface acting), which, in turn, would generate mechanistic self-dehumanizing perceptions. Our hypothesized mediation model is tested across three studies. First, a cross-sectional field study shows that organizational metadehumanization is positively related to surface acting, which is in turn positively associated with mechanistic self-dehumanizing perceptions. Second, an experimental study, manipulating the level of organizational metadehumanization through vignettes, confirms that the more employees feel dehumanized by their organization, the more they engage in surface acting, which, in turn, leads to mechanistic self-dehumanizing perceptions. Third, a longitudinal field study with repeated measures corroborates that the use of surface acting conducts employees to perceive mechanistic self-dehumanization. Overall, these findings highlight that metadehumanization in the workplace is critical in the way employees manage their emotions, which is determinant in the development of mechanistic self-dehumanizing perceptions.

For whom and why organizational dehumanization is linked to deviant behaviours

“…In line with prior experimental studies on ODH (Nguyen et al, in press), we used a scenario vignette procedure to manipulate ODH (Table S1). We invited respondents to participate in a short study on the ‘employee–organization relationships in organizational settings’, which implies for them to read a short text (i.e., a hypothetical scenario) and to put themselves into the role of the supermarket cashier described in the text.…”

Nonhuman treatment reduces helping others: self-dehumanization as a mechanism

“…For example, Song et al (2022) revealed that conferring individuals with numerical identifications (i.e., a form of dehumanization), would trigger a higher level of self-dehumanization among them. Recently, other researchers detected that organizational dehumanization in a particular organization would motivate its staff to engage in more surface actions, and then make them carry a higher level of mechanistic self-dehumanization ( Nguyen et al, 2022 ). With that being said, while being objectified, individuals would internalize the dehumanization component of their objectification experience, which causes them to regard themselves as less human.…”