Dysfunctional rules in organizations: The mediating role of organizational dehumanization in the relationship between red tape and employees’ outcomes

Constantin Lagios, Nathan Nguyen, Florence Stinglhamber and Gaëtane Caesens

European Management Journal, 2023, vol. 41, issue 5, 802-813

Abstract: This research investigates the extent to which employees facing unnecessary, ineffective, and burdensome rules (i.e., red tape) feel dehumanized by their organization, and examines the consequences of such a relationship for both employees and organizations. First, a cross-sectional study (N = 374) shows that red tape is positively related to organizational dehumanization which, in turn, negatively influences employees’ well-being (decreased job satisfaction and increased psychosomatic strains) and attitudes (decreased affective commitment and increased turnover intentions). Going one step further, a second, experimental study manipulating red tape (N = 197) indicates that red tape has a positive causal effect on organizational dehumanization, hence decreasing job satisfaction and affective commitment, and increasing turnover intentions. Finally, a third, cross-sectional study (N = 479) replicates these findings and shows that these links do not differ across the public and private sectors. Directions for future research and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords: Organizational dehumanization; Red tape; Dysfunctional organizational rules; Bureaucracy; Organizational sector; Psychosomatic strains (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0263237322000858
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:eurman:v:41:y:2023:i:5:p:802-813

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/115/bibliographic
http://www.elsevier. ... me/115/bibliographic

DOI: 10.1016/j.emj.2022.06.002

Access Statistics for this article

European Management Journal is currently edited by Michael Haenlein

More articles in European Management Journal from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().