PurposeThere is limited research on the work alienation of knowledge workers in management studies. This paper seeks to address this gap by exploring the extent and reasons for the alienation of knowledge workers.Design/methodology/approachIn the absence of a comprehensive framework for understanding the work alienation of knowledge workers, various factors such as structural elements of centralization and formalization, work characteristics of autonomy, variety, creativity, meaningfulness and self‐expressiveness, quality of work relationships and justice perceptions were examined as predictors of work alienation. Survey data were collected from six different organizations in the information technology sector (n=1,142) in India.FindingsAround 20 percent of the sample was found to be alienated from work. The strongest predictors of work alienation for knowledge workers were found to be lack of meaningful work, inability of work to allow for self‐expression, and poor quality work relationships.Research limitations/implicationsOrganizations employing knowledge workers cannot risk alienating them. The study indicates that one in every five knowledge workers is likely to be alienated. For organizations and practitioners this is a wake up call, pointing to the urgent need to try and understand the factors that are likely to cause alienation among knowledge workers and take adequate preventive steps to ensure an enthused workforce.Originality/valueResearch on alienation in present times has been somewhat limited. This is the first research of its kind across knowledge workers in the information technology industry that attempts to capture their work alienation and factors predicting it.

There is limited research on work alienation in contemporary management studies. One of the possible reasons is the lack of a parsimonious and validated measure of work alienation. The present study reports the construction and evaluation of a new scale for measuring work alienation, in the interest of facilitating further research in this area and aiding the detection and assessment of worker alienation, providing cues to which management should pay attention for any consequent correction, if needed. In Study 1, we developed an initial scale in order to assess the construct and administered it to 99 management executives in India. Exploratory factor analysis led to a revised unidimensional scale, which was then administered to a second sample. In Study 2 (N = 371), confirmatory factor analysis was conducted and the reliability and validity of the scale was assessed. The results indicate good psychometric properties for the newly developed measure of work alienation, providing a robust measure for its use in testing worker alienation and facilitating any required correction to ensure enhanced employee well-being.The concept of alienation has a rich history in the social sciences and is discussed across a broad range of subjects such as theology, philosophy, sociology, psychology, and psychiatry (see Johnson, 1973, for a review of the usage of the

PurposeThis paper attempts to connect the literature on conflict and that of emotions. The argument presented is that emotions have until recently been understudied in conflict literature and vice versa. On the basis of the review of literature on both conflict and emotions, the paper points to new areas of exploration for researchers in both domains.Design/methodology/approachA literature review of two separate sub‐fields of study, namely conflict and emotions is provided with the intent of pointing towards gaps in connecting the two streams of research and towards a more holistic understanding of the role of emotions in conflict.FindingsIt is observed that the link between emotions and conflict has received little attention both in the literature on conflict and that of emotions. Insights into the role of emotions at the time of conflict and towards its subsequent resolution are provided. Future directions for study and potential linkages between the two streams are offered.Originality/valueConnects two different streams of research and offers potential areas of exploration.

Purpose -Although alienation as a concept has a rich history, it has suffered relative neglect in organizational studies and one possible reason for the same is its conceptual ambiguity vis-à -vis popular and long-standing concepts of commitment/identification, satisfaction and engagement, that represent the positive experience of work and which have sometimes been equated as the opposite of work alienation. Similarly, the negative experience of work has traditionally been captured by concepts such as burnout/cynicism and counterproductive work behaviours/deviance. The purpose of this paper is to argue for refocusing attention on the concept of work alienation in management studies as distinct from other related concepts. Design/methodology/approach -The methodology integrated research from both quantitative and qualitative approaches. Findings -Through the analysis of the concept of alienation, along with other related concepts, the conceptual space for the study of alienation in organizational studies is pointed out. By examining the definition, and the antecedents and consequences of commitment, satisfaction, engagement, burnout and workplace deviance, the overlaps and points of differences are highlighted. Originality/value -The paper offers a conceptual level analysis and builds the argument for refocusing attention on the study of work alienation. The juxtaposition of the related concepts clarifies that alienation has a unique contribution to make towards understanding the link between experience at work and employee-related outcomes.

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