Added Value statt menschlichen Werten? Zur Genese von sozialer Entfremdung in Arbeit und sozialer Interaktion

In: Journal für Psychologie, Band 14, Heft 1, S. 120-146

Abstract

It is argued that theoretical constructs referring to the phenomenon of alienation may help to understand current problems within industrial and organizational psychology, social psychology, and organizational sociology. We focus on structures and processes of social alienation that can be traced back to the radicalization of economic concepts (i. e. efficiency fixation) dealing with controlling and business management. By means of some exemplary cases from science and practice it is shown that the application of radicalized economic concepts results in a change of perspectives within economy and society. More and more, preservation and dignity of human life are endangered by loosing their independent end and are transformed into a means (human capital) that is urged to justify itsself continously with regard to criteria of capital rentability.