Investigating the Concept of Organizational Dehumanization in the Public Sector with a Phenomenological Approach

Abstract
This study was conducted with the aim of gaining a deep understanding of the phenomenon of organizational dehumanization in government organizations. The research strategy was interpretive phenomenology based on the approach of Van Manen (2016) and the participants were employees of government organizations focused on social and cultural affairs located in Tehran. Purposive sampling - available judgment was carried out until theoretical saturation stage with 14 people. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and analyzed using the content analysis technique. The validity and reliability of the data were confirmed using the four criteria of validity, stability, confirmability, and transferability of Guba and Lincoln (1989). Data analysis and coding led to the identification of concepts in two dimensions: the underlying factors of dehumanization in government organizations (177 primary themes, 31 sub-themes, 12 main themes) and the consequences of dehumanization (128 primary themes, 28 sub-themes, 13 main themes). Dehumanization in government organizations means reducing or eliminating human aspects from administrative processes, decision-making, and organizational interactions. This phenomenon can be formed for various reasons, including excessive bureaucracy, strict laws, new technologies, and inhuman organizational culture. It seems that in these circumstances, by reforming administrative structures, promoting a human culture, and creating interactive systems, an effective step can be taken to reduce this phenomenon in government organizations.
Case study
case study: Government organizations focused on social and cultural affairs located in Tehran
Introduction
The present era is called the era of digital technologies. One of the prominent and growing features of the present era is the phenomenon of dehumanization in organizations. In examining the dark side of the employee-employer relationship, researchers have recently turned their attention to the concept of organizational dehumanization, which is defined as "the experience of an employee who feels objectified by his or her organization." The term dehumanization originates from the social psychology literature and refers to the denial of human characteristics, and researchers have recently realized that dehumanization may also occur in organizational contexts, such that employees feel that the organization treats them as tools to pursue organizational goals. On the other hand, evidence has shown that the phenomenon of dehumanization is progressing significantly in both public and private organizations.
Materials and Methods
This qualitative study was conducted to investigate the organizational dehumanization of government employees using a hermeneutic phenomenological method based on the van Manen (2016) approach. The research population consisted of government employees focused on social and cultural affairs located in Tehran. The method of selecting the sample was purposive - judgmental, with the input criteria being the full willingness of the organization and individuals to cooperate, having more than 15 years of experience, and the occurrence of symptoms of burnout, isolation, job abandonment, and absenteeism. The participants were selected by visiting the human resources departments of government organizations and subordinate departments in person, and were asked to introduce employees who have high rates of absenteeism and job abandonment and also symptoms such as isolation, indifference and job abandonment that had not been observed before, so that individuals could participate in the study if they were willing. Semi-structured interviews, which are the most common form of interview in qualitative research, were used to collect information. Thus, after conducting 12 interviews, the information obtained was repeated and to ensure saturation, the interviews continued up to 14 people. Van Manen's (2016) six-step method was used to analyze the data, which includes the first step of approaching the nature of the lived experience, the second step of exploring the experience under study as it was lived, the third step of reflecting on the intrinsic themes that characterize the phenomenon, the fourth step of the art of writing and rewriting, the fifth step of maintaining a strong and directional connection with the phenomenon, and the sixth step of matching the research by considering the relationship between the parts and the whole. Lincoln and Guba's assessment was used to evaluate the research, which is based on the four axes of validity, verifiability, repeatability, and verifiability. Ethical considerations in this study were implemented through measures such as obtaining informed consent from participants, keeping all interviews confidential, keeping participants' names hidden, maintaining confidentiality in transferring interview texts from oral to written text, and determining the time and place of interviews with the participants' agreement.
Discussion and Results
After analyzing the data obtained from the interviews regarding the factors affecting the occurrence of dehumanization in the organization, 177 primary themes were identified regarding the factors affecting the occurrence of dehumanization in the organization. After reviewing the primary themes and categorizing them several times, 31 sub-themes were finally summarized into 12 main themes (inefficient management, cold and inhuman organizational culture, bureaucratic and strict structure, unhealthy organizational atmosphere, disregard for the mental health and well-being of employees, poor communication, inefficient job structure, employee exploitation, elimination of creativity and innovation, dominance of technology and advanced technologies, pressures from the organizational environment, stress and anxiety). Also, after analyzing the data obtained from interviews regarding the consequences of dehumanization in government organizations, 128 primary themes were identified regarding the consequences of dehumanization in government organizations. After reviewing the primary themes and categorizing them several times, 28 sub-themes were finally categorized into 13 main themes (leaving service, burnout, organizational silence, decreased commitment, decreased job satisfaction, decreased social responsibility, increased conflicts, decreased ideation, distrust, increased administrative corruption, decreased long-term productivity, severe job stress, damage to the organization's brand).
Conclusion
In government organizations, the phenomenon of organizational dehumanization can manifest itself in the form of ignoring the human needs of employees and clients, turning people into numbers and files, and creating inhuman bureaucratic systems. Undoubtedly, dehumanization in government organizations is a serious problem that can lead to reduced efficiency, increased corruption, and public dissatisfaction. According to the research findings, it is suggested that by reforming administrative structures, promoting a humane culture and creating interactive systems, strengthening a culture of respect and valuing individuals, appreciating employees' efforts through positive feedback and appropriate rewards, ensuring the well-being and human needs of employees, involving employees in organizational decision-making, preventing soulless bureaucracy and mechanical behaviors, providing opportunities for learning and personal growth for employees, and creating a balance between work and personal life through the adoption of flexible policies, government organizations can be transformed into more efficient, humane, and responsive environments.