Perceived Overqualification and Work Alienation: Examining The Roles of Relative Deprivation and Mastery Experiences

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of perceived overqualification on work alienation and the mediating roles of relative deprivation and mastery experiences in this relationship. A quantitative study based on mediation analysis was conducted for this objective. The research was based on data obtained from 260 manufacturing employees. The study revealed that perceived overqualification had a significant impact on work alienation. Due to the direction of influence, the mediating roles of relative deprivation and mastery experiences in this relationship differ. The findings suggest that employees are affected by perceived overqualification, which is heightened by relative deprivation but buffered by mastery experiences, which allow employees to use skills and abilities they do not use on the work. As far as our knowledge, It is also one of the first research in the field of organizational behavior to investigate the relationship between perceived overqualification and work alienation via the mediation effects of relative deprivation and mastery experiences.