Organizations and Powerlessness: A Test of the Mediation Hypothesis

The theory of mass society proposes that organizations mediating between individual and state serve as a bulwark against the development of alienation. An empirical test of this proposition is presented, focusing on perceived powerlessness as a critical form of alienation. As predicted, members of work-related organizations are generally lower in powerlessness than non-members; this difference is sustained under appropriate controls for socio-economic status and mobility. The clearest associations between non-membership and powerlessness are found among the mobility-minded workers. Systematic exceptions to the mediation thesis are noted; and the problem of causal imputation (organization leads to a sense of mastery) is reviewed.