Roberta Rosa Valtorta

Postdoctoral Researcher



Department of Psychology

University of Milano-Bicocca



When workers feel like objects: A field study on self-objectification and affective organizational commitment


Journal article


Roberta Rosa Valtorta, Maria Grazia Monaci
Europe's Journal of Psychology, vol. 19, 2023, pp. 15-26


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APA   Click to copy
Valtorta, R. R., & Monaci, M. G. (2023). When workers feel like objects: A field study on self-objectification and affective organizational commitment. Europe's Journal of Psychology, 19, 15–26. https://doi.org/10.5964/ejop.5549


Chicago/Turabian   Click to copy
Valtorta, Roberta Rosa, and Maria Grazia Monaci. “When Workers Feel like Objects: A Field Study on Self-Objectification and Affective Organizational Commitment.” Europe's Journal of Psychology 19 (2023): 15–26.


MLA   Click to copy
Valtorta, Roberta Rosa, and Maria Grazia Monaci. “When Workers Feel like Objects: A Field Study on Self-Objectification and Affective Organizational Commitment.” Europe's Journal of Psychology, vol. 19, 2023, pp. 15–26, doi:10.5964/ejop.5549.


BibTeX   Click to copy

@article{roberta2023a,
  title = {When workers feel like objects: A field study on self-objectification and affective organizational commitment},
  year = {2023},
  journal = {Europe's Journal of Psychology},
  pages = {15-26},
  volume = {19},
  doi = {10.5964/ejop.5549},
  author = {Valtorta, Roberta Rosa and Monaci, Maria Grazia}
}

Abstract

Objectification is a form of dehumanization that implies the perception of others as mere objects. The present study aimed to expand research on objectification in the work domain by exploring the relationships between objectifying job features, self objectification, and affective organizational commitment within a real work setting. Building on previous literature, we hypothesized that the execution of objectifying work activities would be positively related to workers' tendency to objectify themselves. Further, we expected a decrease in affective organizational commitment as the outcome of these perceptions. A study involving 142 Italian supermarket clerks (75 females) supported our hypotheses. Workers with a low-status job role (i.e., cashiers and salespeople vs. managers) perceived their activities as more objectifying. In turn, this perception heightened their self-objectification, which decreased workers' commitment towards the organization. Our results enrich the understanding of workplace objectification by also providing relevant insights into the link between social-psychological and organizational processes.


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