The Dark Side of Performance Metrics: Dehumanisation and Its Impact on Faculty Engagement
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.56294/hl2025851Keywords:
Organisational Dehumanization, work stress, work engagement, higher education, facultiesAbstract
This study investigates the impact of organisational dehumanisation on work engagement among faculty members in private higher educational institutions. Drawing upon the Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, the research explores how work stress mediates the relationship between organisational dehumanisation and work engagement. A cross-sectional survey was conducted with over 500 faculty members across private institutions in southern India. Organisational dehumanisation, work engagement, and work stress were measured using validated scales, and the data were analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM, AMOS). The results reveal that organisational dehumanisation significantly increases work stress, which in turn negatively impacts work engagement. While the direct influence of organisational dehumanisation on work engagement was not statistically significant, the indirect effect, mediated through organisational work stress, was significant, highlighting stress as a key mechanism through which dehumanisation erodes engagement. The study contributes theoretically by extending COR theory to the academic context and practically by underscoring the need for human-centred organisational practices in higher education. Organisational culture and institutional leaders are urged to minimise dehumanising practices and foster psychologically supportive environments to sustain faculty motivation and institutional effectiveness. These findings hold critical implications for addressing the growing faculty burnout and attrition in India's higher education sector.
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