PDF(1251 KB)
The Impact of Telecommuting on the Objectification of the Workplace
Wu Xuyao, Guo Xiaolin, Li Ye
Journal of Psychological Science ›› 2026, Vol. 49 ›› Issue (1) : 156-167.
PDF(1251 KB)
PDF(1251 KB)
The Impact of Telecommuting on the Objectification of the Workplace
With the rapid advancement of digital technology, the benefits of telecommuting are becoming increasingly apparent. Telecommuting can reduce organizational operating costs and increase employee flexibility. As a result, both employees and organizations are increasingly adopting the teleworking model. However, advancing technology is often a mixed blessing, and telecommuting is no exception. Telecommuting can blur the boundaries between home and work and potentially undermine interpersonal interactions between employees. A key feature of telecommuting is separation, which generates social isolation and occupational segregation. Unfortunately, the isolation incurred by telecommuting may reduce employees’ perception of the “humanity” of their colleagues. In other words, telecommuting may lead to the objectification of the workplace. This study built a framework based on construal-level theory to explore the effects of telecommuting on workplace objectification and its underlying psychological mechanisms. Furthermore, drawing on the social presence theory, this study attempted to explore a way to mitigate the negative effects of telecommuting on workplace objectification.
This research consisted of three studies. Study 1 (n = 135) examined the causal relationship between telecommuting and workplace objectification through an online experiment, and initially identified the mediating role of psychological distance. Specifically, in Study 1, participants in the telecommuting group (vs. the traditional face-to-face office group) read a passage about the work routine of a telecommuter (vs. traditional face-to-face office worker) and then completed the Psychological Distance Scale and the Workplace Objectification Scale. To minimize social desirability bias, participants were instructed to respond to these questionnaires as the telecommuter (vs. traditional face-to-face office worker) would respond in the material. Study 2 (n = 128) used a mediator-blocking manipulation to identify the causal relationship between psychological distance and workplace objectification in an online experiment, again identifying the mediating role of psychological distance. Specifically, after being primed with high (vs. low) psychological distance in a telework context, participants completed the Workplace Objectification Scale. By comparing different communication styles (telework via text vs. telework via both text, voice, and video vs. face-to-face non-telework), Study 3 (n = 139) sought to explore whether enriching communication in telework could be a way to mitigate the effects of telework on workplace objectification.
The main findings of this study are as follows. First, compared to traditional face-to-face office modes, telework models exacerbate workplace objectification. Second, psychological distance plays a mediating role between telecommuting and workplace objectification. Specifically, telecommuting increases psychological distance compared to traditional face-to-face office modes, thereby exacerbating workplace objectification. Finally, the effects of telecommuting on workplace objectification can be mitigated by enriching telecommuting. Teleworkers who use a combination of text, video, and voice communication or traditional office workers, are less likely to objectify others than teleworkers who use text communication only. Moreover, teleworkers who use a combination of text, video, and voice communication are also less likely to objectify others than traditional office workers. This is because multiple forms of communication reduce the psychological distance between telecommuters and others, thereby reducing the objectification of others in the workplace.
This study highlights the negative effects of telecommuting and emphasizes that organizations and employees should consider the pros and cons of telecommuting dialectically. While telecommuting offers employees greater work flexibility, it can also increase the psychological distance between employees, leading to workplace objectification. Fortunately, the effect of telecommuting on workplace objectification can be mitigated by enriching the ways telecommuters communicate with their colleagues. This suggests that organizations could try to encourage telecommuters to use a variety of communication methods to interact with others and reduce these negative effects. In addition, encouraging more informal communication between employees may help to bridge the psychological distance and further reduce workplace objectification.
telecommuting / work objectification / mental distance / construal level theory / communication channel
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