Date

4-29-2026

Department

School of Behavioral Sciences

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology (PhD)

Chair

Matthew Swain

Keywords

humanization, autonomy, individuality, dignity, resilience, social capital, engagement, scale development

Disciplines

Psychology

Abstract

Research on humanization is fragmented, generally focuses on dehumanization, and prior to this study no validated measure of humanization existed. To fill this gap, I developed and validated the Organizational Humanization Scale (OHS), a nine-item measure defining organizational humanization as the perceived affirmation of autonomy, individuality, and dignity. Items for the OHS subscales were adapted from established measures of work autonomy, work-group uniqueness, and workplace dignity. Using a cross-sectional survey of full-time employed adults in the United States (N = 427), I evaluated the OHS’s internal consistency reliability and evidence of structural, convergent, discriminant, and nomological validity. Results supported a second-order factor structure representing a general humanization factor reflected by autonomy, individuality, and dignity subscales. The OHS was positively associated with workplace social capital and work engagement. Comparisons with established measures of autonomy, uniqueness, and dignity on which the OHS was based showed similar associations despite the OHS consisting of fewer items. These findings support the OHS as a concise instrument for research and applied measurement of perceived organizational humanization and its associations with organizational outcomes.

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