Objectification in the leader-follower relationship

This dissertation looks at objectification, the experience of feeling treated as a tool at work rather than as a full human being. It focuses on how this happens in the relationship between leaders and the people they manage. The central idea is that leaders may objectify employees in the pursuit of performance goals.The dissertation is based on three working papers. The first paper shows that when leaders are under pressure to deliver results, they may treat employees more as a means to an end. Some leaders focus only on performance, while others become emotionally distant and ignore employees’ needs.The second paper finds that when CEOs promote passion for work as something everyone should have, this can have unintended consequences. Managers may come to believe that pushing employees very hard is justified, as long as it serves performance goals.The third paper explores how employees interpret their leader’s behavior. Even if a leader is highly task-focused, employees do not feel objectified if the leader also shows care and respect. But when leaders focus only on tasks, employees often feel used.This research highlights objectification as a common experience in the workplace. It shows the importance of treating employees with care, even in high-pressure environments. Humane leadership is not just ethical choices, but essential for a healthy and effective workplace.

Dissertation: https://hdl.handle.net/11370/7ed2e8ea-8080-4f63-bb14-6a6478f35f76