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How objectifiers are granted power in the workplace

Bibi Zhang Orcid Logo, Barbara Wisse, Robert G. Lord

European Journal of Social Psychology, Volume: 53, Issue: 4, Pages: 681 - 702

Swansea University Author: Bibi Zhang Orcid Logo

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DOI (Published version): 10.1002/ejsp.2930

Abstract

Objectification often has profound negative consequences for the victims, yet we argue that objectification may have positive ancillary implications for the perpetrators. Drawing from system justification theory, we posit that especially in organizations characterized by higher power distance, objec...

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Published in: European Journal of Social Psychology
ISSN: 0046-2772 1099-0992
Published: Wiley 2023
Online Access: Check full text

URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa61676
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Abstract: Objectification often has profound negative consequences for the victims, yet we argue that objectification may have positive ancillary implications for the perpetrators. Drawing from system justification theory, we posit that especially in organizations characterized by higher power distance, objectifying supervisors would be afforded more power by their subordinates because they would deem such behavior as more typical (i.e., descriptive justification) and more desirable (i.e., prescriptive justification). The results of two experiments (N = 443 and N = 211) showed that high (vs. low) power distance subordinates afforded less power to a non-objectifying supervisor (but not more power to an objectifying supervisor), and that prescriptive justification (but not descriptive justification) mediated the interaction effect of objectification and power distance on power affordance. In a field survey with dyads of supervisors and subordinates (N = 122), we found that subordinates with relatively high power distance orientations afforded power to their objectifying supervisors through prescriptive justification. Our research contributes to objectification literature by demonstrating when and how supervisor objectification can be rationalized and perpetuated through granting objectifiers power.
Keywords: objectification, power affordance, power distance, system justification
College: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
Funders: Durham University
Issue: 4
Start Page: 681
End Page: 702