Authors : Rajdeep Sahu

Volume/Issue : Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 6 - June

Google Scholar : https://tinyurl.com/3zcvsesk

Scribd : https://tinyurl.com/2ypazb5r

DOI : https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26jun708

Note : A published paper may take 4-5 working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and ResearchGate.

Abstract : This analytical study applies Frantz Fanon’s theory of "epidermalization" to the contemporary corporate sector, arguing that modern "professionalism" functions as a neo-colonial "White mask." For employees—particularly those from marginalized backgrounds—success requires a psychological splitting, where one must perform a curated corporate identity while suppressing their authentic cultural and personal self. The study further characterized by AI-driven surveillance and algorithmic monitoring—exacerbates this alienation. Under the relentless digital gaze, the "mask" becomes a permanent survival mechanism, leading to identity fragmentation and the erosion of psychological safety. The analysis posits that true workplace innovation is stifled by this defensive compliance. Ultimately, the paper calls for a decolonization of organizational culture, moving beyond superficial inclusion toward a fundamental redefinition of professionalism that dismantles the systemic requirement for identity performance and restores employee agency.

Keywords : Frantz Fanon, Identity Alienation, Corporate Professionalism, Decolonization, Psychological Safety, Algorithmic Surveillance, Code-Switching.

References :

1. Fanon, F. (1952). Black Skin, White Masks. Grove Press. (The foundational text for identity alienation and the "mask" as a survival mechanism).
2. Fanon, F. (1961). The Wretched of the Earth. Grove Press. (Essential for understanding systemic violence and the necessity of decolonization).
3. Bhabha, H. K. (1994). The Location of Culture. Routledge. (Introduces "mimicry" and the instability of the performed identity).
4. Du Bois, W. E. B. (1903). The Souls of Black Folk. Mc Clurg & Co. (The origin of "double consciousness," essential for the "Internalized Gaze").
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14. Zuboff, S. (2019). The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power. Public Affairs. (Theoretical framework for the digital "Gaze").
15. Benjamin, R. (2019). Race After Technology: Abolitionist Tools for the New Jim Code. Polity. (Analysis of how AI and digital tools enforce racial and cultural hierarchies).
16. Noble, S. U. (2018). Algorithms of Oppression: How Search Engines Reinforce Racism. NYU Press. (Explores the data-driven enforcement of bias).
17. Mbembe, A. (2016). Decolonizing the university: New directions. Arts & Humanities in Higher Education. (Applicable to corporate settings regarding the dismantling of Eurocentric structures).