Relative Deprivation Theory Research Articles

Institutionalised Xenophobia: African Migrants’ Experiences and Perceptions of Service Delivery at a Selected South African Department of Home Affairs

This study delved into a conceptual analysis of African migrants’ experiences and perceptions of service delivery at a purposely selected Department of Home Affairs and Immigration Services in South Africa. A mixed-methods design comprising a cross-sectional survey and focus group discussions was conducted with black African migrants awaiting service delivery at the Durban Department of Home Affairs. The findings were discussed within the context of the relative deprivation theory. The study unfolds South Africans’ negative perceptions of African immigrants as vectors of insecurity, criminality and economic hardship for the citizenry, as well as a systemic anathema to South Africa’s state sovereignty. It holistically ascribes the phenomenon to an attendant consequence of unlawful racial discrimination emanating from institutionalised xenophobia, a recently emerged concept that this current study has referred to as Afrophobia.

Turning ingroup wounds into bonds: perceptions of gender inequalities predict attitudes toward other minorities.

Despite significant strides in reducing gender disparities over the past decades, women still face disparities in several domains. While extensive research has explored the various consequences of gender inequalities for women, this study (N = 493 participants) delves into a less-explored dimension, investigating whether and how perceiving gender inequalities is associated with attitudes toward minorities. Drawing on relative deprivation theory and intra-minority solidarity research, we examined the relationship between women's perceptions of gender inequalities-spanning workplace inequality, domestic inequality, sexual harassment, and social expectations-and attitudes toward gays and lesbians, transgender women, and immigrants. We also explored whether indignation, arising from recognizing unjust circumstances, mediated these relationships, and the moderating role of perceived friends' support for gender equality. The results of the path analyses unveiled a nuanced relationship. While women who were more aware of gender inequalities exhibited more positive attitudes toward gays and lesbians and transgender women, no such relationship was observed regarding immigrants. Indignation and perceived friends' support for gender equality were key factors in fostering positive intergroup attitudes. Regarding their moderating role, perceived social norms only influenced the relationship between indignation and attitudes toward gays and lesbians. These findings shed light on the intricate interplay between gender inequalities and minority group attitudes. Recognizing the multifaceted nature of gender inequality and its emotional impact can catalyze promoting coalitional attitudes and collective action among disadvantaged groups. The study also underscores the potential of close groups' norms in promoting positive intergroup attitudes, warranting further exploration.

Changing Insecurity Threats in Nigeria from 1999-2021

This study examines the changing insecurity threats in Nigeria, focusing on the significant causes of insecurity threats in Nigeria since 1999, the impacts of changing insecurity threats on human security, and strategies that the government could adopt to curb insecurity threats. The study address insecurity threats not only from the traditional security approach but also incorporated human and social security approach. As a matter of fact, most of the research on security studies heavily rely on the traditional security approach. The study adopts a qualitative research approach, and secondary data obtained from journals, articles, organization reports, academic materials, libraries, the internet, and newspapers were analyzed with hermeneutics approach. Elites’ theory and relative deprivation theory were adopted as the study theoretical framework. The study shows that several insecurity threats exist in all the six geopolitical zones in Nigeria which includes; Kidnapping, Insurgent groups, Separatist agitators, Boko-Haram, Herdsmen-farmers conflict. The study gave certain recommendations and advises the government to adopt the composite model approach, perceiving security as a collective responsibility of individuals, government, religious groups, business organization, and civil society. The study further provides the following recommendations that government must ensure good governance and promote democratic principles, government should train and retrain security operatives, government should also invest in agriculture, health and education. The study also recommend that the Nigerian government should set up a referendum that will cut across nooks and crannies of the country and must also address crucial issues that threaten the peaceful coexistence of Nigerians.

Insurgent Terror during the 1921 West Siberian Uprising

The article considers such a controversial aspect of the West Siberian uprising of 1921 as the repressive and terrorist activities of the rebels towards representatives and supporters of the communist authorities on the ground, members of their families and rural intelligentsia. The author makes an attempt to characterize its forms, orientation, socio-psychological and moral motives. The motives for peasants’ protest sentiments, which grew into various forms of aggression, violence and terrorist activities by the most active anti-communist insurgents, are viewed from the standpoint of the theory of relative deprivation. The paper describes the symptomatic cruel, bloody torture and reprisals suffered by party and Soviet workers on the ground, food suppliers, policemen and representatives of the rural intelligentsia. The most terrible blow was dealt to the rural communes, which was caused by the outright rejection of collectivist morality and psychology by the prosperous Siberian peasantry. The article shows the tragic consequences of brutal, uncontrolled, spontaneous and emotional insurgent terror. The feelings of hatred and revenge towards the communist government and its representatives on the ground were long-term. On the basis of the documents from the regional archives, the author presents the facts characterizing the degradation and moral decline of the rebel movement, pointing out the long-term nature of anti-communist sentiments in the peasant community. This circumstance in particular led to a rebellion against the Soviet authorities, which broke out in the Sorokinsky area of the Ishim district of the Ural region in March 1930. The article gives a general assessment of the scale and consequences of the insurgent terror in Western Siberia, which became a backlash against the social deprivation of war communism period and a product of the moral degradation of its participants’ conscience.

Eğitim Yönetiminde Kurumsal Çerçevede Örgütsel Adalet Teori ve Yaklaşımlarının İncelenmesi

Organizational justice theories are classified as Adams' equality theory, Deutsch's distribution theory, the justice judicial model developed by Leventhal, Crosby's relative deprivation model, Thibaut and Walker's self-interest model and the group value model. The theory of equality questions whether people have a moral state of the rewards they receive during their perceptions of justice. The concept of equity or equality that makes up the theory consists of distributive justice and mental incompatibility approaches. Observations have been made about the fairness of what employees will receive as a result of their contributions to organizations in the justice judicial model and it has been concluded that this will not be possible under all circumstances. It was argued that it would be fair to obtain the gains deservedly and to create appropriate environments for the needs of employees to be taken into consideration. Distribution theory is related to the distribution of conditions and achievements between individuals that can affect a person's physical, psychological, social and economic status. Decateration theory is related to the distribution of conditions and achievements between individuals. The theory of relative deprivation is a theory that describes a situation experienced by an individual who cannot benefit from equality. In this theory, it refers to the emotion that an individual feels when making contradictory and negative comparisons. According to the control model, individuals' thoughts about the fairness of decisions are a major determinant of the reactions they elicit against the gains they benefit from procedures. In the group value model, it is argued that group interests should take precedence over personal interests. Employees are expected to act together with the group and treat their cats fairly. In this model, individuals want to belong to a group and stay in long-term relationships with their groupmates. Key Words: Educational Institutions, Educational Administration, Organizational Justice

ECONOMIES OF CONFLICT: CONTEXT AND ROOT CAUSES OF INTERCOMMUNAL CONFLICTS IN KAZAKHSTAN

Purpose of the research. This article aims to explore the validity of economic theories of conflict in explaining the root causes of intercommunal conflicts in Kazakhstan.Methodology. Such theoretical overview and qualitative methodological approach offer a more nuanced picture and constitutes an initial step in tailoring context-specific de-escalation strategies.Originality / value of the research. Through in-depth case study of Korday clashes in 2020, it challenges scholars who have attributed the roots of intercommunal conflict to lingering Soviet legacy and language politics. This literature takes communal grievances that attribute conflict to identity politics and/or rights for granted. They concentrate on discourse and take complaints at face value. Instead, this article explores applicability of the economic theories of «greed» and «relative deprivation» in conflict contexts.Findings. By using results of our fieldwork supported by research project of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan, we show that «greed» hypothesis explains the predatory context on the local level, while the relative deprivation theory explains the perceptions of local population. The combination of these two conditions provided fertile ground for the collective grievances and served as the primary causes of conflict.

The curvilinear relation between coworker knowledge hiding and employee job crafting

Drawing on relative deprivation theory, we explored the mechanism for the influence of coworker knowledge hiding on employee job crafting and the moderating role of supervisor developmental feedback from the perspective of status competition. Thus, we tested the tripartite interpersonal interactions among knowledge-hiding individuals, knowledge-seeking employees, and supervisors. We conducted a two-wave time-lagged study on 354 employees who worked for Chinese owned and operated companies in China. We found that there was an inverted U-shaped relationship between coworker knowledge hiding and employee job crafting, in which an employee's sense of relative deprivation played a mediating role. Furthermore, supervisor developmental feedback negatively moderated the relationship between coworker knowledge hiding and an employee's sense of relative deprivation. To increase the level of employee job crafting, managers should pay attention to the degree of employeeâ–™s sense of relative deprivation and attempt to moderate that by providing supervisor developmental feedback.

The effect of pay equity on organizational commitment in higher education institutions in Bangladesh

Pay inequity seems to be a major concern at private universities in developing countries. Therefore, this study, drawing on equity and relative deprivation theories, aims to investigate the role of pay equity in shaping the organizational commitment of university faculty members in Bangladesh. It used the convenience sampling method with a structured questionnaire. Participants in the study were 254 full-time faculty members, including lecturers, assistant professors, associate professors, and professors from private universities in Bangladesh. A t-test comparing different categories of faculty members showed no noteworthy distinctions between their responses regarding pay equity and organizational commitment. Then, the study employed variance-based structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) to analyze the data and validate the research model. According to the findings, internal pay equity positively and significantly affects affective (β = 0.327, p < 0.05) and normative commitment (β = 0.579, p < 0.05). Moreover, external pay equity is significantly associated with affective (β = 0.488, p < 0.05) and continuance commitment (β = 0.492, p < 0.05). However, the impact of internal pay equity on continuance commitment (β = 0.150, p = 0.165) was insignificant. Similarly, the relationship between external pay equity and normative commitment (β = 0.170, p = 0.263) was also insignificant. The findings indicate that higher education institutions can stimulate the organizational commitment of academics by promoting pay equity.

Digital exclusion and relative digital deprivation: Exploring factors and moderators of internet non-use in the UK

This paper investigates internet non-use in the UK. We apply Resource and Appropriation Theory (RAT), identifying main factors associated with internet non-use in the UK: (1) older age, (2) lower socio-economic classification, (3) disability, (4) less education/qualifications, and (5) lower housing tenure. We extend RAT by exploring magnifying effects of disadvantages, particularly, moderating effects of gender, housing tenure, urban/rural, North/South divide, and ethnicity. Internet non-users tend to be in lower-paid jobs, which impacts productivity even more during than before Covid, closing the loop of the RAT vicious circle. A thread runs through the results on the importance of attitudes and motivation. Accordingly, we recommend interventions based on Relative Digital Deprivation Theory. Once an individual understands that they suffer digital inequality, they are more likely to change attitudes and behavior to reduce inequality. If encouraged by family and friends, they may then view internet non-use as fixable and worth fixing, potentially becoming internet users.

An evaluation of the flip flop approach to combating terrorism and religious extremism in Nigeria from 2015-2022

The fundamental responsibility of government is to secure citizens life and properties. The ongoing terrorist activities and religious extremism in Nigeria is yet to receive the required attention from the government. In light of the growing influence of terrorism and religious extremism in Nigeria, the study adopted the relative deprivation theory, to explain possible causes of terrorism and the recruitment of terrorists. The paper examines the ideological variations among the terrorist groups, using the quantitative textual analysis of secondary data to evaluate and scrutinize the flip flop approach of the Nigeria government from 2015 to 2022 in combating terrorism and religious extremism in the country. Despite the response by government, insecurity, terrorism and religious extremism have not been defeated due to lack of political will and the inability of government to make good laws to sanction offenders, thus, endemic poverty encourages the spread of terrorism and religious extremism. The study recommend among others, the need for government to properly police the borders, religious or tribal nepotism should not be condoled and not until systematic corruption, bad governance, inter religious and ethnic rivalry aimed at the control of state apparatus for economic and political selfish gains are seriously addressed and curtailed. The paper suggests that acute poverty and relative deprivation are precursor to the serial insecurity and terrorism that Nigeria is facing today.

The Rohingya Influx into Bangladesh’s Cox’s Bazar: Mapping Internal Security Threats

Following the recent 2017 Rohingya influx, Bangladesh now hosts nearly one million Rohingyas. Being persecuted by the Myanmar state machinery and some local vigilantes, they fled for safe refuge in Bangladesh’s Cox's Bazar. Bangladesh sheltered them in 34 overcrowded camps located in the Teknaf and Ukhiya sub-districts of Cox’s Bazar. At present, Rohingyas are counted more than double compared to the local host population in these two areas. This study makes efforts to explicate why and how these stranded Rohingyas can be a security threat to Bangladesh. Theoretically, the study relies on security discourse; ecological and resource scarcity model; and relative deprivation theory. Under the qualitative research approach, the researchers conducted semi-structured interviews mainly with key informants and subject experts to gather field data. The study brings out that this overpopulation has perplexed the security milieu of the country and forecasts multifaceted internal security threats. Thus, the study offers salient policy recommendations to ameliorate the crisis response by neutralizing the identified and forecasted conflictual issues. Social Science Review, Vol. 40(1), Jun 2023 Page 89-107

Objective Relative Income Impacts Life Satisfaction and Positive Affect Only When Subjective Absolute Income is High.

Given the crucial role of money in individuals' daily life and the potential societal impact of income inequality, it is not surprising that the income-subjective well-being (SWB) link has been a topic of great research interest. The present study extends past research by examining the independent and interactive effects of three personal income factors. An experiment was conducted where subjective income (both absolute and relative) were manipulated and objective relative income was measured. Subjective relative income impacted perceived deprivation, negative affect, and state hostility, whereas the other two income factors showed a main effect on perceived deprivation only. Regarding interaction effects, objective relative income impacted life satisfaction and positive affect only for individuals in the high (vs. low) subjective absolute income condition, i.e., those who perceived their income as adequate for needs/wants. We proposed that the relative deprivation theory (Smith et al., 2012), which primarily focuses on the impact of low relative income (or income inequality), should be expanded to account for both perceived deprivation "relative to others" and perceived deprivation "relative to one's own needs/wants."

Understanding the Association of Subjective Perception and Emotional Resentment With Micro- and Macro-Level Violence: A Multilevel SEM Examination of Relative Deprivation Theory

Criminological theories suggest that economic deprivation elevates violence in societies at both micro and macro levels. Relative Deprivation Theory constructed this causal framework by introducing pathways from objective deprivation to violence through mediating subjective perceptions and emotional resentments. This study tests these interactive pathways by building and examining stepwise multilevel structural equation models. We sampled 2,040 residents in South Korea using pair-matching stratified sampling and conducted face-to-face interviews. Findings suggest that subjective perception and emotional resentment play significant roles in understanding the association between economic deprivation and violence. These findings signify that criminologists should consider individual cognitive interpretations and social/cultural backgrounds when investigating the impact of economic deprivation.

BOKO HARAM TERRORISM, THE GIRL CHILD AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN NORTH-EAST NIGERIA

The study interrogates the link between Boko Haram terrorism and sustainable development in North-East region of the Nigerian state. Although a good number of associated literatures have highlighted the challenges of Boko Haram on sustainable development especially in the North-East region of Nigeria. However, the conversations appear to have underemphasized its implications on gender equality in the region. Thus, the study is aimed at filling this gap. The researcher employed the application of the relative deprivation theory. The framework see deprivation as a condition creating fertile grounds for recruitment of youths into violence/Boko Haram terrorist organization. The study was purely qualitative relying mainly on documentary reports. Data was gathered through secondary source and analysis were done through a historical and institutional process. Findings of the study showed that Boko Haram impacts negatively on education, particularly on the girl child as it deters them from enjoying quality education vis-à-vis their male counterparts and this impacts significantly on gender inequality in North-East Nigeria. Strengthening security networks to put an end to terrorism in North-East region of Nigeria, educating the populace to understand the role of women in nation building and development through mass media campaigns, the need for more gender equality campaigns by balancing the role of men and women, boys and girls in development planning/processes are recommended as the most likely means to curtail the challenges of Boko Haram as it affects girl child schooling and by extension gender equality.

A DECONSTRUCTION OF FRUSTRATION-AGGRESSION THEORY OF POLITICAL VIOLENCE IN NIGERIA

The work set out to deconstruct and reconstruct Ted Roberts Gurr’s (1970) theory of relative deprivation, frustration-aggression as contained in his work ‘Why Men Rebel’ (1970). The study used descriptive research design and evaluated the capacity of the theory, which was created to explain political violence in Africa and Asia in the colonial era, to also explicate why intense relative deprivation, frustration and aggression arising from the avalanche of poor governance in postcolonial African states such as Nigeria and many others, have not culminated into political violence and rebellion. The study presented numerous data obtained through observation and analysis of events in Nigeria, Africa and case-studies of American, French, English and Russian rebellions and distilled qualitative data which indicated lack of association between the variables. The application of the study design revealed first the state as the source of relative deprivation, frustration and aggressions of the citizenry when they are denied access to public values, which they feel entitled to. Secondly, it further discovered that there are no direct correlations between relative deprivation, frustration and aggression as initially conveyed by the theory since 1970. Furthermore, it exposed that there is an intervening variables identified as ‘Social Movements’ or ‘Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), which harness relative deprivation, intense frustration and aggressions from the sufferers and convert them to other set-of-action, which may not be political violence and rebellions but could be advocacy towards the expansion of the mechanism for supply of public good or values and to make it accessible to many as a means of addressing relative deprivation. The study concluded in the light of its findings, that the initial theory requires deconstruction and reconstruction to include ‘Social Movement’ as a principal component. It is only then that it could be applied in the analysis of issues in postcolonial African and Asian states

Criminal Enterprise: Explaining the Emergence of Bandit Gangs in Nigeria

ABSTRACT: Since 2011, criminal activities of armed bandits in Northwest Nigeria have skyrocketed with enormous impact on lives and livelihoods. In the first seven months of 2019, the Nigerian government recorded over 330 attacks from armed bandits that resulted in the death of about 1,460 civilians. This briefing paper—which draws on relative deprivation theory— provides an account of the increasing cases of rampant banditry in the region, focusing on the motives and drives of armed bandits in the Northwest geopolitical zone in Nigeria. The account suggests a way forward to help resolve the disconcerting increase in conflict that has the potential to destabilize not only Nigeria but also the Sahel region .

Perceived overqualification, work-related boredom, and intention to leave: examining the moderating role of high-performance work systems

PurposePrior studies have shown various mediating and moderating mechanisms regarding the effect of employees' perceived overqualification on intention to leave (ITL). Nonetheless, only a few empirical studies have shed light on the negative underlying processes that explain this relationship. Furthermore, less is known about the role of high-performance work systems (HPWSs) in the overqualification literature. Drawing upon relative deprivation theory (RDT), this research attempts to fill these gaps by examining the mediating role of work-related boredom and the moderating role of perceived HPWSs in the association between perceived overqualification and ITL.Design/methodology/approachData from a sample of 188 employees working in a Greek manufacturing company were analyzed using the PROCESS macros for SPSS.FindingsThe results indicated that work-related boredom mediates the association between perceived overqualification and ITL. Moreover, HPWSs attenuated the relationship of perceived overqualification with both work-related boredom and ITL, such that their association was positive only when employees' perceptions of HPWSs were low.Originality/valueThis study adds to the existing literature regarding why and how perceived overqualification affects ITL. Even more, this is one of the first studies that examine the role of HPWSs in the literature of overqualification. Theoretical and practical implications were also considered.

When overqualification turns dark: A moderated-mediation model of perceived overqualification, narcissism, frustration, and counterproductive work behavior

Although perceived overqualification (POQ) is an established correlate of counterproductive work behavior (CWB), the means and boundaries of this consequential, costly relationship are largely undetermined. This research aims to address this gap by developing and testing the mediating role of job frustration and the moderating influence of narcissism in the relationship, providing valuable insights for organizations' selection, placement, and understanding of employees. Perceived overqualification is established as an antecedent of the frustration-aggression model. Narcissism is developed within Relative Deprivation Theory as exacerbating the effects of perceived overqualification on both affective (job frustration) and behavioral (CWB) consequences. Data from 696 individuals in heterogeneous occupations completing a two-stage online study supported the developed model, with job frustration mediating the relationship between POQ and CWB and narcissism strengthening both stages of the mediated relationship. The findings advance job frustration and narcissism as mechanisms for understanding, and mitigating, costly counterproductive effects of POQ.

The effect of CEO‐to‐worker pay disparities on CEO compensation: The mediating role of shareholder say on pay votes

AbstractIn response to large pay disparities caused by rising CEO compensation and stagnant employee pay, US financial regulators have taken several initiatives to mobilise shareholders. However, the ability of these initiatives to enhance shareholder engagement and reduce excessive CEO compensation has been questioned. Using a large sample of 1594 non‐financial firms from the Russell 3000 index over 2013–2019, we disentangle the complex role that shareholder engagement towards CEO‐to‐worker pay disparities plays on CEO compensation. We find that higher CEO‐to‐worker pay disparities increase shareholder dissent say on pay votes and that, paradoxically, shareholder dissent say on pay votes increase CEO compensation. Furthermore, we provide evidence that shareholder engagement mediates the relationship between CEO‐to‐worker pay disparities and CEO compensation through their say on pay votes. Our findings are consistent with the relative deprivation theory as shareholders react to large pay disparities to avoid the negative consequences of a feeling of deprivation on employees. They are also in line with the agency theory, as shareholder reactions to large CEO‐to‐worker pay disparities trigger reactions from the remuneration committee to better align CEO pay with their interests. Overall, our findings support the existence of a shareholder engagement channel driven by social comparison mechanisms and agency responses. This study has important implications for regulators by unpacking the usefulness of these regulatory initiatives to shareholders and also documenting their unintended consequences on CEO compensation.

Technological or social? Influencing factors and mechanisms of the psychological digital divide in rural Chinese elderly

The psychological digital divide (PDD) significantly impacts participation and may hinder the development of smart rural communities. This study aimed to address the issue by conducting a questionnaire survey of 394 elderly individuals from rural China, revealing the essential characteristics and core mechanisms of PDD based on the relative deprivation theory (RDT). The study also focused on a moderation test of cognitive age to validate its critical role in the formation of PDD among rural elderly individuals. The final results confirmed the stability of the PDD induction model and highlighted that the information systems (IS) continuance intention of the elderly can be affected by both technological and social environments, through relative digital deprivation. Specifically, social exclusion and technology anxiety were identified as key drivers of PDD, with technology anxiety having a stronger impact. Furthermore, the cognitive age of elderly individuals intensifies the negative influence of relative digital deprivation on IS continuance intention, while also strengthening the relationship between social exclusion and relative digital deprivation. These findings not only shed light on the nature of PDD but also provide a theoretical framework for understanding the transition from social to digital exclusion.