Be a Money-Making Tool: Perceived Economic Inequality Evokes Working Self-Objectification

Perceived economic inequality has wide-ranging effects on individuals’ sociopsychological consequences, yet relatively little is known about how it shapes individuals’ self-perceptions in the workplace. The present study ( N  = 1018) addresses this gap by examining whether perceived economic inequality, as a macro-level environmental factor, fosters working self-objectification and by identifying financially contingent self-worth (FCSW) as a key psychological mechanism. In addition, we investigate whether these processes contribute to the rationalization of exploitative workplace practices. Across four studies, we provide converging evidence for our hypotheses. Study 1 found that perceptions of economic inequality at the national level and in daily life were positively associated with working self-objectification. Studies 2–4 established the causal relationship between perceived economic inequality and working self-objectification through experimental designs employing fictitious society paradigms. These studies (Studies 2–4) consistently show that FCSW mediates the relationship between perceived economic inequality and working self-objectification, suggesting that individuals who base their self-worth on financial success are more likely to perceive themselves as tools in the workplace. Importantly, Study 3 demonstrated that the intervention aimed at reducing FCSW mitigated the effect of subjective economic inequality on working self-objectification. Finally, Study 4 uncovered a critical downstream consequence: increased FCSW and working self-objectification driven by perceived economic inequality led individuals to rationalize exploitative workplace practices, such as unpaid overtime. Together, these findings extend the literature on subjective economic inequality by demonstrating its influence on individuals’ self-perception in the workplace. By linking macro-level inequality to micro-level psychological processes, this research highlights how structural conditions may contribute to the internalization and perpetuation of exploitative organizational norms.