Challenging Democratic Deficit at Work Through Humoristic Criticism: Perspectives from Turkey’s Highly Qualified Employees

Abstract This article focuses on the lived experiences of highly-qualified employees facing contradictions in working life in contemporary Turkish society, engendered by the ambivalence between the managerial discourse, which promotes employees’ subjectivity, and de-democratization of society manifested specifically by the limitations of freedom of expression. The empirical research discussed in this article examines humoristic narratives shared by highly-qualified employees on social media, highlighting the contradictions they experience in corporate life. The study analyzed social media accounts that humorously critique working conditions, corporate culture, indebtedness, and co-worker relationships. It employs a qualitative approach, using content analysis to interpret the narratives and explore how humor is used to express negative working life experiences due to de-democratization of the society. The main findings of the study demonstrate that highly qualified employees, working in corporate companies, use humorous narratives to critique four key areas: psycho-social risks , corporate culture , co-worker relationships and indebtedness.