Humanizing the workplace: Psychological Sciences researcher explores ways to combat robotization of Asian American employees

Written By: Rebecca Hoffa, rhoffa@purdue.edu

Asians in the U.S. are more likely to be likened to robots or machines, viewed as lacking human feeling and emotion compared to other groups in the United States, according to National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded research by Franki Kung, associate professor in the Purdue University Department of Psychological Sciences. As an industrial-organizational and social psychologist, Kung is interested in exploring workplace practices that condone this phenomenon of mechanistic dehumanization — a type of dehumanization that strips people of their individuality and human nature — and approaches to change it.

“There seems to be an assumption we have accepted as a society that part of professionalism means suppressing who you are, not bringing your personal aspects to work and keeping your emotions to yourself,” Kung said. “Workplace culture is often structured in a way that makes people less human so organizations can function more smoothly. In this context, that often translates to greater efficiency for the benefit of the organization and much less for the benefit of the employees.”

Franki Kung(Photo provided)

By collecting both qualitative and quantitative data from employees throughout the country, Kung has seen firsthand the poor working conditions and exploitation that have occurred as a result of mechanistic dehumanization.

“If this (work) is such a significant portion of our life, wouldn’t we want to think about how to make this part of our life more meaningful and more human-serving than task-serving?” Kung said. “We work because we want to live, so what does living look like?”

Although he’s approaching business-related issues, for Kung, it’s important to approach the issue from a psychology lens to ensure proper solutions for workers, rather than solutions purely aimed at increasing business growth at the expense of employee satisfaction.

“A lot of people ask me, ‘Franki, why are you not in a business school? Why psychology?’” Kung said. “I think my answer connects directly to my work on dehumanization in the sense that psychology is a people-first field. The bottom line isn’t organizational efficiency or profit. It’s the well-being of people. My research on dehumanization, at its core, asks: How can we better understand the barriers that prevent workers from realizing their full potential? And how can organizations improve to recognize and create space for humanity in the workplace?”

Kung, a recipient of the 2024 NSF Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award and the 2025 College of Health and Human Sciences (HHS) Early Career Research Award, collaborates with former HHS graduate students Sharon Li and Rick Yang on this research. They are currently working to publish a 37-item scale that will help organizations and workplaces better evaluate employee experiences.

“How can we make employees more satisfied with their jobs so they would want to stay?” Kung said. “This could offer a new assessment that captures impactful factors we don’t often consider. I would argue that being treated with respect and dignity is a key reason why employees choose to stay or leave. This issue affects not just Asian American workers; it affects everyone. With this scale, we can not only test that idea but also compare organizations and groups, so we can continue to learn what to improve and how. And I think that that’s very important.”

Kung explained that some of the most meaningful impacts of this work are reflected in the personal stories about how it has helped individuals make sense of their lived experiences. The work is personal to him also as an Asian person himself.

“One time, after a presentation at a minority-serving institution, there was a line of students waiting to talk to me, and one person was in tears saying, ‘Your research and some of the questions gave me the language to describe the world I live in so that I can understand it and change it,’ Kung said. “I was moved by the comment. It reminded me of the profound impact psychology research can have on humanity – an impact of human science that cannot be overlooked – and of the privilege of being a psychologist whose work strives to connect with people.”

Kung’s Conflict Collaboratory lab continues to study conflict management more generally and its contribution to organizational culture and well-being.

“My current PhD student, Hannah Kim, is looking at leadership behaviors that are humanizing,” Kung said. “How can leaders communicate and demonstrate to their employees that they respect them and treat them with dignity? Part of that relates to the extent to which leaders allow people to share or show vulnerability at work.”

While Kung’s focus is not on increasing businesses’ profits, he believes that by creating a work environment where everyone feels safe and seen as human, businesses will thrive as well.

“I like to think that building a humanizing work environment empowers employees to truly function and flourish, and that ultimately benefits the team and the organization,” Kung said.