TIle Study of Alienation at Work as a Processa Discrepancy Approach:

This paperaims at studying alienation within work context as a specific socialsystem and correlations between the dimensions of alienation by applying thediscrepancy approach, using some aspects of Seeman, Blauner and Faunceʹstheories. Powerlessness, meaninglessness andnormlessness are takenasindependent variables and self-estrangement as dependent variable andas anindicator of work alienation. This researchis conducted on the survey method. Amulti level random sampling method has been used for selection of the samples;Main instrument of data collection used in this study was questionnaire.TheSample of the research includes 400 members drawn from employees ingovernmental organizations in Ahwaz, capital of Khuzestan, aprovince in southwest of Iran, in the year 2009.Findingsshow significant and positiverelationsbetween powerlessness, meaninglessness and normlessness with selfestrangement(work alienation). The results of multiple regressionshowthatnormlessness and powerlessness have the most effect on selfestrangement.Also, the results indicate that there are significant relationsbetween age, education and organizational positions with dimensions ofalienation, buttheseindividual characteristics do.not affect relationship betweenpercieved powerlessness, meaninglessness and normlessness with selfestrangement(work alienation).1