The Dehumanisation Strategy Assignment

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Author’s Note

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‘Work can be dehumanising rather than fulfilling’ is the topic which will be analysed in
this paper. Dehumanising behaviour and attitude are common in the workplace. Several business
organisations use this strategy to push the subordinate employee to deliver their best
performance. To accomplish the individual target and organisation target, the leader of an
organisation uses this method (van der Walt 2018). In today’s work environment, most of the
employee has to do a target-oriented job. So the question is whether work can be dehumanising
instead of fulfilling or not. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory can be appropriate to explain this
issue.
To survive in the competitive workplace, an employee has to provide his best
performance to achieve the individual target. So it can be said that the character of the employee
has to fulfil work and responsibilities, given to him by the manager. In the workplace, work can
be dehumanising. According to Haslam, two types of dehumanisation are present, which are
animalistic dehumanisation and mechanistic dehumanisation (Haslam 2006). Based on ethnicity,
race, and colour, animalistic dehumanisation is done. In this type of dehumanisation, the
characteristic of the human being is denied which differ him from the animal. Self-control, the
rationality of human being are denied in this type of dehumanisation (Haslam 2006). On the
other hand, mechanistic dehumanisation is common in the workplace. It can happen in
interpersonal interaction in the workplace. Subtle disrespect, sexual objection, harassment,
condescension, bullying, social ostracism, and others are common in interpersonal interaction in
the workplace. On the other hand, fulfilling work can deliver satisfaction to the employee. It can
boost the creativity of the employee. The freedom of the employee is respected. The right of the
employee is protected. It can help a business organisation to develop a happy workforce (Gröpel

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and Kuhl 2009). It can deliver the desired outcome. As employees are happy, motivated and
engaged.
To explain, this issue Maslow’s hierarchy of needs theory can be useful. The needs
theory given by Abraham Maslow is one of the most useful ones. There are five basic needs that
a person must fulfil to find motivation. They are as follows: physiological need, safety, social,
esteem and self-actualization (Upadhyaya 2014). These things will help in creating internal
pressure thereby showing an influence in people’s attitudes.
Needs like fresh air for breathing, food, water, shelter, clothing and sleep which are
essential for human survival are called physiological needs. A manager should take the complete
responsibility of providing his or her employees with an adequate supply of the above-mentioned
things. Only then can he/she ensure a proper working condition (Soni and Soni 2016).
Things that provide a person with a sense of security and well-being are included under
safety needs. Security may range from personal to financial to protection against an accident.
Providing employees with safe working conditions, especially for the female employees,
providing them with compensation and assuring them with job security is very essential on a
manager’s part (Soni and Soni 2016).
The employee also needs to feel a certain amount of love and acceptance. This comes
under the need called social needs. This is a very important need as an absence of this will make
the employee feel isolated and abandoned, especially in case of those workers who are away
from their native land. Elements like friendship, family and intimacy are all counted under this
need (Ozguner and Ozguner 2014). As a manager one needs to ensure that every employee has a
balanced work and social life. A misbalance in the two may lead to poor production as well. To