Research Seminar: Prof Simon Restubog

Dear all,

Join us in welcoming Professor Simon Restubog from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, to Trinity Business School on Friday, 19th of June 2026.

The seminar will take place in room 419 and via Zoom between 9 and 10 am.

Please REGISTER HERE.

Seminar Title: The Double-Edged Effects of Organizational Dehumanization

Abstract: In this presentation, I examine the harmful effects of organizational dehumanization on employees while also challenging the field’s predominantly deficit-based perspective. Specifically, I explore whether organizational dehumanization may generate unintended positive spillover effects beyond the workplace. Drawing on self-affirmation theory, I argue that experiences of organizational dehumanization threaten employees’ sense of self-worth. In response, employees may seek to restore their self-worth by affirming valued aspects of the self through reflection on their core values and important social relationships. These self-affirmation processes, in turn, may motivate greater prosocial engagement toward broader society (e.g., volunteering) and toward family members (e.g., enhanced family task performance). I further propose that these effects are particularly pronounced among employees whose self-worth is closely tied to helping and supporting others. These ideas are examined across two phases involving six complementary studies that employ both experimental and field-based methodologies. Across all six studies, the findings provide consistent support for the proposed relationships. I conclude by discussing the implications of these findings for understanding organizational dehumanization and employee behavior.

Bio: Simon Lloyd D. Restubog is Interim Dean and Full Professor of HR and Organizational Psychology in the School of Labor and Employment Relations, with a courtesy appointment in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA. He is also an International Distinguished Professorial Fellow (fractional appointment) in the School of Management at the University of Bath, UK. His research focuses on the dark side of human behavior, employment relationships and future of work, and career development. He has published over 100 journal articles in leading outlets, including the Academy of Management Journal, Human Relations, Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, Journal of Management Studies, Journal of Organizational Behavior, Journal of Service Research, Leadership Quarterly, Organizational Behavior & Human Decision Processes, Personnel Psychology, Organization Studies, among others. Since 2008, he has received 12 nationally and internationally competitive grants from Australia (e.g., Australian Research Council – Discovery and Linkage Schemes), Canada (e.g., Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council), and China (e.g., National Natural Science Foundation of China). He currently serves as Senior Associate Editor of the Journal of Vocational Behavior and Associate Editor of Human Relations. He is also an editorial board member of the Journal of Applied Psychology, Journal of Management, and Journal of Management Studies. In January 2023, he was named a Fellow of the Association for Psychological Science in recognition of his sustained and exceptional contributions to the field of psychology.

Photographs will be taken during this seminar and may be shared on social media. If you do not wish to appear, please notify tbs.research@tcd.ie.