Public Administration Perspective

A Meta-analysis of Factors Affecting Job Alienation

Document Type : Research Article (with quantitative approaches)

Authors

1 Department of Sociology, Yazd University, Iran, Yazd

2 Ph.D. student of Economic Sociology and Development of Yazd University

3 Ph.D. student of socio -Economic sociology of Yazd University

Abstract

Purpose: Today, the feeling of alienation from work is a fundamental obstacle for the dynamics of individuals, organizations and the whole society. A lot of research has been done on this topic. The purpose of this research is to meta-analyze the factors affecting occupational alienation.
Design/ methodology/ approach:  This research was done with meta-analysis method and it meta-analyzed researches that were done with survey method and using questionnaire tool and with different criteria. The statistical population of this research includes researches in the field of occupational alienation from 1380 to 1397 in Iran. Among them, 20 studies were selected and the relationship of 6 variables with job alienation was investigated.
Research Findings: The results showed that the effect size of the two variables of organizational culture and job satisfaction was at a relatively high level with -0.53 and -0.50 respectively. Also, the effect size of variables of organizational commitment and job characteristics is evaluated as moderate with -0.36 and -0.33 respectively. However, the effect size of variables of organizational justice and quality of work life are at a weak level with -0.24 and -0.21, respectively.
Limitations & Consequences: Among the studies that were reviewed in the first stage, only one qualitative study dealt with the category of job alienation. This affects the depth of the results of this research. Also, there was no consensus among researchers regarding the measurement of job alienation. This made it difficult for the researcher to gather the results.
Practical Consequences: Most of the studies were conducted among administrative employees, which, due to the disturbance of other variables, questions the generalization of the summarized results to other employees.
Innovation or value of the Article: The article adds to the understanding of the different effect of different organizational variables on job alienation.
Paper Type: Research Article

Keywords

  1. Afrasiabi, H., Jamshidi Solukloo, B., & Ghodrati, H. (2013), Study of job satisfaction with participation and alienation among employees of Fars Regional Electric Company, Applied Sociology, (49), 190-177, (in Persian).
  2. Alaa, E. (1992), Productivity Management and its Improvement Technique, Tehran: Ghalam. (in Persian)
  3. Danesh, P., & Tawafi, P. (2017), Sociological-Psychological Study of the Relationship between Organizational Culture and Social Alienation (Case Study of Tabriz Secondary School Secondary School), Islamic Journal of Public Relations and Social Studies (4), 202-169. (in Persian)
  4. Davies, K., & Newstorm, J. (1994), Human Behavior at Work (Organizational Behavior), translated by Mohammad Ali Tusi, Tehran: Center for Public Administration Training, (in Persian).
  5. Deghbani, A. (2015), Investigating the Factors Affecting Organizational Commitment of Naja Staff, The Quarterly of the Police Knowledge of the Capital Police (25), 96-75.
  6. Giddens, A. (1995), Sociology, Translated by Manouchehr Sabouri Kashani, Tehran: Publishing Ney Publication, (in Persian)
  7. Goudarzond Chegini, M., Nouian Ashraf, A., & Alavi Saeb, F. (1393), Factors Affecting Work Alienation, Relationships and Strategies, Journal of New Approach in Educational Management, Islamic Azad University, Marvdasht Branch, (17), 80- 55, (in Persian)
  8. Hosseini, S. M., & Mehdi-zadeh Ashrafi, A. (2010), Identification of factors affecting organizational commitment, Management Quarterly, (18), 16-9, (in Persian)
  9. Marx, C. (1998) Manuscripts of Economics - Philosophy, 1844, Translation by Hassan Mortazavi, Tehran,Agah Publishing, (in Persian).
  10. Mostafavi-rad, F., Behrangi, M. R., Askarian, M., & Farzad, V.(2010) Investigating the Relationship between Organizational Culture, Quality of Work Life, Organizational Commitment with Alienation from the Directors of the Secondary Schools in Shiraz, Journal of Educational Sciences, Shahid Chamran University of Ahvaz (1), 78-45, (in Persian).
  11. Mohseni Tabrizi, A. (1991), Alienation of the conceptualization and grouping of theories in the fields of sociology and psychology, Social Sciences Letter, 0, 73-25, (in Persian)
  12. Robbins, S. P. (1999) Foundations of Organizational Behavior, Translation of Persians and Arabs, Tehran: Cultural Research Bureau Publications, (in Persian).
  13. Tavasoli, G. A. (2003) Social participation in the conditions of anomic society "The relation between social and social deviations and social deviations", Tehran: Tehran University Press, (in Persian).
  14. Vahida, F., Ansari, M. E., Haghighatian, M., & Bazmi, M. (2014), Sociological assessment of job alienation and its effects on organizational culture in educational organizations (Case study of staff of education departments of Mashhad), society Applied Science, (54), 14-1, (in Persian).
  15. Weber, M. (1995), Economics and Society, Translation: A Collection of Translators, Tehran: Molly Publications, (in Persian).
  16. Yousefi, M., & Azizi Zin-al-Hajjlo, A. (2015), Factors Affecting Work Alienation in Employees of the General Directorate of Health Insurance of East Azarbaijan Province, Health Image (4), 31-23, (in Persian).
  17. Ahmad, S. (2013) Paradigms of Quality of Work Life, Journal of Human Values, Los Angeles, London, New Delhi, Singapore, Washington DC, Management Centre for Human Values, 19(1) 73–82.
  18. Banai, M., Reisel, W. D., & Probst, T. M. (2004). A managerial and personal control model: Predictions of work alienation and organizational commitment in Hungary. Journal of International Management, 10, 375-392.
  19. Borenstein, M., Hedges, L. V., Higgins, J. P.T., & Rothstein, H. R. (2010), A basic introduction to fixed-effect and random-effects models for meta-analysis. Res. Synth. Method، 1: 97–111.
  20. Choi, S. (2010) Organizational Justice and Employee Work Attitudes: The Federal Case, The American Review of Public Administration, Reprints and permission, 41(2) 185–204.
  21. Card, N. A.(2011). Applied meta-analysis for social science research، New York: Guilford Publications.
  22. Glass, G. V. (1976). Primary, secondary, and meta-analysis of research. Educational Researcher، 5، 3–8.
  23. Hutchens, R. (2010). Worker characteristics, job characteristics, and opportunities for phased retirement. Labour Economics, 17, pp:1010-1021.
  24. Kalekin, F. D., & Langman, L. (2015) Alienation: The critique that refuses to disappear, Current Sociology, Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav, 1–18.
  25. Lambert, E. G., Liu, J., & Jiang, S. (2018) An Exploratory Study of Organizational Justice and Work Attitudes Chinese Prison Staff, The Prison Journal, Reprints and permissions:sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav, 1–20.
  26. Millette, V., & Gagne, M. (2008). Designing volunteers’ tasks to maximize motivation, satisfaction and performance: The impact of job characteristics on volunteer engagement Motivation and Emotion, 32(1), 11-22.
  27. Maslach, C., & Leiter, M. (1997). The truth about burnout: How organizations cause personal stress and what to do about it. San Fransisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
  28. Nabavi, A. H., Hossinzadeh, A. H., & Allameh, S. (2014). Examining the effect of the bureaucratic characteristics of organization on staff's work alienation (the study of the staff of governmental organizations in Ahvaz city) social problems of Iran. Journal of Kharazmi University, 4(2), 131-54. (Persian).
  29. Nasawang, P., Intaraprasong, B., & Pattarachachai, J. (2011). Work alienation of professional nurses in district hospitals in the central region of Thailand, Journal of Public Health and Development, 9, 287- 300.
  30. Nygren, K. G., & Gidlund, K. L. (2012). The pastoral power of technology. Rethinking alienation in digital culture, Journal for a Global Sustainable Information Society, 10, 509-517.
  31. Pigott, T. D.(2012). Advances in Meta-Analysis, New York: Springer.
  32. Roach, A. S., & Mack, K. (2014) Job satisfaction in the judiciary, Work, employment and society, Reprints and permissions: sagepub.co.uk/journalsPermissions.nav Vol. 28(5) 683–701.
  33. Stinchcomb, J., & Leip, L. (2013) Expanding the Literature on Job Satisfaction in Corrections, International Association for Correctional and Forensic Psychology, CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND BEHAVIOR, Vol. 40, No. 11, November 2013, 1209–1227. DOI: 10.1177/0093854813489667.
  34. Shantz, A., Alfes, K., Bailey, C., & Soane, E. (2015), Drivers and Outcomes of Work Alienation: Reviving a Concept, Journal of Management Inquiry, 1-12.
  35. Tummers, L., Bekkers, V., Thiel, S. v., & Steijn, B. (2014) The Effects of Work Alienation and Policy Alienation on Behavior of Public Employees, Administration & Society OnlineFirst, published on November 2, 2014. 1–22.
Public Administration Perspective
Volume 11, Issue 3 - Serial Number 43
2020
Pages 67-85