Objectification – treating human beings as instrumental tools that are deprived of agency and experience – is inherent in many organizational practices, as employers hope that it may further their interests of profit-making. However, objectification undermines target employees’ interests and well-being. This review seeks to address this conflict by discussing relevant theories and empirical studies on workplace objectification. Specifically, this review summarizes and integrates what is known about antecedents and consequences of objectification from three different perspectives: Objectifying others, self-objectification, and experiencing objectification. This review shows that people often objectify others to achieve their extrinsic goals, such as money and power, or to reduce subjectivity uncertainty, while thwarting the objectified targets’ fundamental control, belonging, and self-esteem needs. We provide a comprehensive framework that integrates the extant literature on objectification and offer theoretical and methodological recommendations. We conclude by discussing how juxtaposing conflicting elements in objectification can help create a more virtuous cycle.
