Understanding the polarity between work alienation and the importance of work: evidence from Turkey

Abstract

The main aim of this paper is to investigate the conceptual and empirical grounds of how work alienation and work centrality differ from one another. The concern that these two variables may lie on different axes of the same concept is tackled in relation to work values. In this respect, the effects of work values (intrinsic vs. extrinsic work values) on both work alienation and work centrality have been examined. Turkish employees working in SMEs are targeted to fill out a questionnaire which includes Turkish work values inventory developed by Tevruz and Turgut (2004), Mottaz's (1981) work alienation scale and Kanungo's (1982) work centrality inventory. In total 209 Turkish employees participated in the study. The preliminary findings showed that work alienation and work centrality are distinct concepts and that only work centrality could be predicted by work values.