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Drivers and outcomes of work alienation: reviving a concept

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  • Shantz, Aamanda
  • Alfes, Kerstin
  • Bailey, Catherine
  • Soane, Emma

Abstract

This article sheds new light on an understudied construct in mainstream management theory, namely, work alienation. This is an important area of study because previous research indicates that work alienation is associated with important individual and organizational outcomes. We tested four antecedents of work alienation: decision-making autonomy, task variety, task identity, and social support. Moreover, we examined two outcomes of alienation: deviance and performance, the former measured 1 year after the independent variables were measured, and the latter as rated by supervisors. We present evidence from a sample of 283 employees employed at a construction and consultancy organization in the United Kingdom. The results supported the majority of our hypotheses, indicating that alienation is a worthy concept of exploration in the management sciences.

Suggested Citation

  • Shantz, Aamanda & Alfes, Kerstin & Bailey, Catherine & Soane, Emma, 2015. "Drivers and outcomes of work alienation: reviving a concept," LSE Research Online Documents on Economics 64449, London School of Economics and Political Science, LSE Library.
    • Handle: RePEc:ehl:lserod:64449
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    File URL: http://eprints.lse.ac.uk/64449/
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Chiaburu, Dan S. & Thundiyil, Tomas & Wang, Jiexin, 2014. "Alienation and its correlates: A meta-analysis," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 32(1), pages 24-36.
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    Cited by:

    1. Frank Martela, 2023. "The Normative Value of Making a Positive Contribution–Benefiting Others as a Core Dimension of Meaningful Work," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 185(4), pages 811-823, July.
    2. Bailey, Catherine & Madden, Adrian, 2019. "“We’re not scum, we’re human”: Agential responses in the face of meaningless work," Scandinavian Journal of Management, Elsevier, vol. 35(4).
    3. Maha Dajani & Mohamad Saad Mohamad, 2017. "Perceived Organisational Injustice and Counterproductive Behaviour: The Mediating Role of Work Alienation Evidence from the Egyptian Public Sector," International Journal of Business and Management, Canadian Center of Science and Education, vol. 12(5), pages 192-192, April.

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    More about this item

    Keywords

    alienation; deviant behavior; management history; task performance;
    All these keywords.

    JEL classification:

    • R14 - Urban, Rural, Regional, Real Estate, and Transportation Economics - - General Regional Economics - - - Land Use Patterns
    • J01 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - General - - - Labor Economics: General
    • J50 - Labor and Demographic Economics - - Labor-Management Relations, Trade Unions, and Collective Bargaining - - - General

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