Being Treated as an Instrument: Consequences of Instrumental Treatment and Self-Objectification on Task Engagement and Performance

IF 2.9 4区心理学 Q2 PSYCHOLOGY, APPLIED

Human Performance Pub Date : 2021-03-15 DOI:10.1080/08959285.2021.1878182

C. Baldissarri, L. Andrighetto

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引用次数: 15

Abstract

ABSTRACT Workers’ instrumental treatment is commonly seen as a strategic way to reach organizational goals. Drawing on relevant recent literature, this paper sought to show experimentally that instrumental treatment is instead associated with negative outcomes for the individual and the organization. We sought to demonstrate that treating people as instruments would lead them to self-objectify – to self-perceive as objects rather than human beings – which would result in them being less engaged in a given task, thus undermining their performance. Study 1 was designed to provide a first test of our hypotheses by manipulating the instrumental (vs. non-instrumental) treatment enacted by an experimenter toward naïve participants (N = 85) during the performance of a cognitive task. Study 2 consisted in a simulated online work activity in which participants (N = 147) were asked to play the role of a proofreader for a fictitious newspaper, while being treated in an instrumental (vs. non-instrumental) way by the editorial staff. The results provided convergent evidence about the hypothesized process: being instrumentally (vs. non-instrumentally) treated leads people to self-objectify (i.e., to self-perceive as more instrument-like than human) and, in turn, their engagement with the task and performance are undermined. Implications for organizational and social psychology research are discussed.

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被当作工具对待:工具对待和自我客观化对任务参与和绩效的影响

摘要员工工具化待遇通常被视为实现组织目标的一种战略方式。根据最近的相关文献，本文试图通过实验表明，工具治疗反而与个人和组织的负面结果有关。我们试图证明，将人视为工具会导致他们自我客体化——将自己感知为物体而不是人——这会导致他们较少参与特定任务，从而削弱他们的表现。研究1旨在通过操纵实验者在执行认知任务期间对天真参与者（N=85）实施的工具（与非工具）治疗，对我们的假设进行第一次测试。研究2包括一项模拟的在线工作活动，参与者（N=147）被要求扮演一份虚构报纸的校对员的角色，而编辑人员则以工具（与非工具）的方式对待他们。这些结果为假设的过程提供了趋同的证据：被工具化（与非工具化）治疗会导致人们自我客体化（即自我感知为比人类更像工具），反过来，他们对任务的参与和表现也会受到损害。讨论了对组织和社会心理学研究的启示。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Human Performance PSYCHOLOGY, APPLIED-

CiteScore

4.30

自引率

0.00%

发文量

期刊介绍： Human Performance publishes research investigating the nature and role of performance in the workplace and in organizational settings and offers a rich variety of information going beyond the study of traditional job behavior. Dedicated to presenting original research, theory, and measurement methods, the journal investigates individual, team, and firm level performance factors that influence work and organizational effectiveness. Human Performance is a respected forum for behavioral scientists interested in variables that motivate and promote high-level human performance, particularly in organizational and occupational settings. The journal seeks to identify and stimulate relevant research, communication, and theory concerning human capabilities and effectiveness. It serves as a valuable intellectual link between such disciplines as industrial-organizational psychology, individual differences, work physiology, organizational behavior, human resource management, and human factors.