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Article
Publication date: 26 February 2024

Swati Chaudhury, Aditi Gupta, Kiran Nair, Apoorva Vats, Ranjan Chaudhuri, Zahid Hussain and Sheshadri Chatterjee

First, with real-life examples and current research, this study aims to demonstrate the existence of various forms of ostracism (linguistic, gender, social and workplace). Second…

Abstract

Purpose

First, with real-life examples and current research, this study aims to demonstrate the existence of various forms of ostracism (linguistic, gender, social and workplace). Second, following the “need-threat model,” this research addresses the previously unaddressed topic of coping with, reducing, mitigating or curbing workplace ostracism. Moreover, the researchers also proposed a “multiplying effect model” of ostracism.

Design/methodology/approach

Data was gathered from 199 service sector employees. The NVivo software is used for the thematic analysis of qualitative data(suggestions) gathered using open ended question on how to mitigate/reduce/curb ostracism.

Findings

The results generated were the suggestive measures, which were further categorized under three major themes: individual, society and organizational. The measures to reduce, mitigate and stop the practices of workplace ostracism can be initiated on all these three levels.

Originality/value

This is the only study that addresses the subject of decreasing, alleviating or eliminating workplace ostracism and explains the compounding effect of ostracism by suggesting a multiplying effect model. The study will pique the interest of the government and legislators to propose legal measures to prevent ostracism and achieve sustainable development goals (gender equality and reduced inequalities. The study’s practical, social, theoretical and managerial utility are discussed in the implications section.

Details

International Journal of Law and Management, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1754-243X

Keywords

Book part
Publication date: 2 June 2015

Kristin L. Scott and Michelle K. Duffy

We explore the antecedents of workplace ostracism and delineate possible organizational interventions to deter ostracism. Under the lens of evolutionary psychology we argue that…

Abstract

We explore the antecedents of workplace ostracism and delineate possible organizational interventions to deter ostracism. Under the lens of evolutionary psychology we argue that individuals deemed capable of contributing to social and organizational goals become valued group members while those who threaten group stability and viability risk being shunned or ostracized. Specifically, we review empirical evidence and present the results of a pilot study suggesting that those who are perceived to violate injunctive and descriptive norms, as well as threaten one’s self-concept are at increased risk for ostracism. In terms of intervention, we propose mindfulness techniques and organizational support as a route to deter employees’ inclinations to ostracize coworkers. Thus, a primary goal of this chapter is to explicate a framework for identifying the predictors and deterrents of workplace ostracism in order to generate additional research on this important topic.

Article
Publication date: 29 July 2014

Ishfaq Ahmed, Wan Khairuzzaman Wan Ismail and Salmiah Mohamad Amin

The purpose of this study is, in considering the significant role of social exchange relations at work, to add value by highlighting the remedial effects of the individual guanxi…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is, in considering the significant role of social exchange relations at work, to add value by highlighting the remedial effects of the individual guanxi network (IGN), perceived organizational support (POS) and leader–member exchange (LMX) in overcoming ostracism at work.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from 247 Chinese employees working in the services sector in Western Malaysia at two points in time. A questionnaire was used as a tool to gather responses from the selected sample. Respondents were selected using a simple random sampling technique. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling.

Findings

Results of the study support the hypothesis and prove that the presence of social exchange relations (i.e. POS and LMX) can have a positive effect on reducing ostracism at work. The Chinese social value of IGN is also an important predictor in overcoming ostracism in Chinese organizations.

Research limitations/implications

This study covers employees working in the service sector. A good and more realistic picture could be drawn by increasing the sample size and drawing comparisons with the manufacturing and trading sectors both in and outside Malaysia.

Practical implications

One clear implication of this study is a suggested means of overcoming ostracism and its adverse effects at work.

Originality/value

Determining a means of overcoming ostracism and eradicating its negative consequences is the main contribution of this study.

Details

Nankai Business Review International, vol. 5 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8749

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 12 November 2019

Ahmad Raza Bilal, Tehreem Fatima and Muhammad Kashif Imran

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the exclusionary work environment characterized by ostracism impacts full-time faculty experiences and responses in higher educational…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to explore how the exclusionary work environment characterized by ostracism impacts full-time faculty experiences and responses in higher educational institutions working in eastern and collectivist culture of Pakistan.

Design/methodology/approach

Using a qualitative phenomenological approach, the data were gathered form 25 ostracized full-time faculty working in the public and private universities in Lahore, Pakistan via in-depth semi-structured interviews. The interviews are subsequently recorded, transcribed and analyzed by thematic analysis using NVivo 11 Plus software.

Findings

Prosocial work outcomes coupled with high intensity of negative psychological impacts were traced based on the re-inclusion expectations, long-term relational contract, the socially interdependent, collaborative and collectivist culture of academic settings. However, the faculty indicated, in case of chronic exposure to ostracism they will engage in negative outcomes such as withdrawal, decrease in performance and resignation.

Research limitations/implications

The results of this study can be used by the university administration to develop an inclusive and non-discriminatory culture. This can be done by devising policies for information sharing, better formal and informal relationships in full-time teaching faculty along with grievance mechanism to minimize the occurrence of workplace ostracism.

Originality/value

The study promotes the understating of exclusionary work environments in academic settings. It has shown that the full-time faculty from all levels, specifically lecturers, experience workplace ostracism. This study has highlighted the specific contextual factors and temporal trends that shape the unique nature and responses (i.e. more social exclusion, prosocial responses and higher psychological distress) to ostracism in scantly researched academic settings in Pakistan.

Details

Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education, vol. 12 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2050-7003

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 2 July 2021

I.M. Jawahar, Ahmad Raza Bilal, Tehreem Fatima and Zach J. Mohammed

The purpose of this study was to test the mediating influence of workplace ostracism in the relationship between organizational cronyism and social capital. In addition, the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to test the mediating influence of workplace ostracism in the relationship between organizational cronyism and social capital. In addition, the authors posited that workplace incivility would interact with cronyism to directly influence social capital, and indirectly through its effect on workplace ostracism.

Design/methodology/approach

Using data collected in four waves, with a time interval of six weeks between each wave, from 358 university faculty members, the authors used the PROCESS macro to test the proposed moderated mediation model.

Findings

Results indicated that workplace ostracism mediates the influence of organizational cronyism on social capital, and that workplace incivility interacts with cronyism to influence social capital directly, and indirectly through its effect on workplace ostracism.

Originality/value

Most studies of social capital are theoretical. The few empirical studies have focused on factors that contribute to social capital and virtually no research exists on factors that undermine social capital. Based on the premise that negative interpersonal relationships are far more powerful in explaining outcomes relative to positive interpersonal relations and the notion that “bad is stronger than good,” the authors draw on social exchange theory and the norm of negative reciprocity to test a moderated mediation model and identify a mechanism and the condition under which social capital is undermined. The results have important implications for theory, research and practice.

Details

Career Development International, vol. 26 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1362-0436

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 July 2021

Beenish Shahzad, Muhammad Aqeel, Hifza Naseer, Muhammad Abdullah Khan, Nimra Fawad and Amna Tahreem

Ostracism is being socially ignored or excluded by others. Ostracism leads to serious psychological distress and health issues in the young adults being ostracized. However, there…

Abstract

Purpose

Ostracism is being socially ignored or excluded by others. Ostracism leads to serious psychological distress and health issues in the young adults being ostracized. However, there are no psychometrically designed instruments to measure this phenomenon in young adults. This study aims to develop a scale that measures ostracism efficiently and establishes the scale’s psychometric properties.

Design/methodology/approach

The research design used for the study is “a mixed-method study using non-experimental research with an exploratory sequential approach and instrument development design.” For the formation of the item pool, theoretical evidence was collected and focus group discussions were conducted. Afterward, content validity was established with the help of subject matter experts, followed by Velicer’s minimum average partial method and maximum likelihood factor analysis to form the instrument’s factorial structure.

Findings

Velicer’s minimum average partial method and maximum likelihood factor analysis made two factors as follows: ostracism experience and psychological effect. The instrument developed has a high value of alpha reliability i.e. a = 0.97 and a = 0.96, a = 0.92 for the subscales, respectively.

Research limitations/implications

The sample used for the research was enough to run the analysis, but future studies can go for a more extensive and more diverse sample. The sample was based solely on university students. The current research focused only on the target of the phenomenon, and the whole research process was conducted online because of the Covid-19 pandemic going on. The scale developed can be used in several settings to find out if the individual is being ostracized or not.

Practical implications

The scale’s most important implication is in the colleges and universities where young adults are found and face this problem daily. Likewise, psychologists can also use it in clinical settings. The other important implication of this scale is that it is opening a route to future research as different variables can be studied in ostracism such as depression, physical health and anxiety.

Social implications

Ostracism is a hidden evil in societies that is not usually talked about. When people are not given equal importance in groups or settings, it leads to serious psychological issues in those individuals. This scale will in the identification of the problem that will lead to a proper solution to this evil.

Originality/value

This work is original and not copied from anywhere. The research was conducted with the sole purpose of developing a scale on the ostracism experiences in young adults. The data is collected in the form of online surveys. The current scale is an attempt at developing a more reliable and valid scale that can be used in social settings.

Details

International Journal of Human Rights in Healthcare, vol. 15 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2056-4902

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 26 May 2022

Tehreem Fatima, Ahmad Raza Bilal, Muhammad Kashif Imran and Muhammad Waqas

The current study aims to investigate the impact of coworker ostracism on coworker-directed knowledge hiding through the mediating role of relational social capital and moderating…

Abstract

Purpose

The current study aims to investigate the impact of coworker ostracism on coworker-directed knowledge hiding through the mediating role of relational social capital and moderating role of alternate belongingness in Pakistani higher educational settings.

Design/methodology/approach

A time-lagged study was carried out in which data from teaching and non-teaching faculty (N = 217) from the higher education sector of Lahore, Pakistan, were collected through multi-stage sampling. The collected data were analysed using moderated mediation analysis (PROCESS model 4 and 7).

Findings

The results revealed that ostracism from coworkers has an unfavourable impact on relational social capital that in turn promotes knowledge hiding. Nonetheless, if ostracized employees had sources to fulfil belongingness needs outside the work settings, this negative association was strengthened.

Originality/value

The authors have taken the role of belongingness outside the workplace in explaining the coworker ostracism and knowledge hiding relationship in higher educational settings and identified the explanatory role of relational social capital.

Details

Evidence-based HRM: a Global Forum for Empirical Scholarship, vol. 11 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2049-3983

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 3 August 2018

Theo Benos, Nikos Kalogeras, Ko de Ruyter and Martin Wetzels

This paper aims to examine a core member-customer threat in co-operatives (co-ops) by drawing from ostracism research, assessing co-op ostracism’s impact on critical membership…

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Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to examine a core member-customer threat in co-operatives (co-ops) by drawing from ostracism research, assessing co-op ostracism’s impact on critical membership and relational exchange outcomes and discussing why relationship marketing research needs to pay more attention to the overlooked role of implicit mistreatment forms in customer harm-doing.

Design/methodology/approach

Three studies were conducted. In Study 1, ostracism in co-ops was explored, and a measurement scale for co-op ostracism was developed. In Study 2, the core conceptual model was empirically tested with data from members of three different co-ops. In Study 3, a coping strategy was integrated into an extended model and empirically tested with a new sample of co-op members.

Findings

Ostracism is present in co-ops and “poisons” crucial relational (and membership) outcomes, despite the presence of other relationship-building or relationship-destroying accounts. Coupling entitativity with cognitive capital attenuates ostracism’s impact.

Research limitations/implications

Inspired by co-ops’ membership model and inherent relational advantage, this research is the first to adopt a co-op member-customer perspective and shed light on an implicit relationship-destroying factor.

Practical implications

Co-op decision makers might use the diagnostic tool developed in the paper to detect ostracism and fight it. Moreover, a novel coping strategy for how co-ops (or other firms) might fend off ostracism threats is offered in the article.

Originality/value

The present study illuminates a dark side of a relationally profuse customer context, painting a more complete picture of relationship marketing determinants. Little attention has been given to ostracism as a distinct and important social behaviour in marketing research and to co-ops as a research context.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 52 no. 9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 3 July 2017

Amer Ali Al-Atwi

The purpose of this paper is to extend the ostracism literature by exploring the pragmatic impact of ostracism on performance.

4325

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to extend the ostracism literature by exploring the pragmatic impact of ostracism on performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Ostracism workplace, social relations and empowerment structures are discussed. The paper then develops a theoretical framework that explains why and under what conditions workplace ostracism undermines employees’ performance. The author proposes that empowerment structures mediate the link between ostracism and in-role and extra-role performance. In addition, it was proposed that relational links buffer the negative relationship between ostracism and empowerment structures on performance and weaken the negative indirect effect of ostracism on performance.

Findings

The theoretical arguments provide support for the model showing that empowerment structures mediate the relationship between ostracism and performance, and the mediation effect only occurred when external links were high but not when external links were low.

Originality/value

The author has expanded the extant literature by answering recent calls for research exploring the pragmatic impact of workplace ostracism where past research has typically focused solely on the psychological impacts such as psychological needs.

Details

European Journal of Management and Business Economics, vol. 26 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2444-8451

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 15 June 2023

Sanket Dash, Sushant Ranjan, Neha Bhardwaj and Siddhartha K. Rastogi

The study aims to understand the phenomenon of workplace ostracism from multiple perspectives (target, perpetrator and observer). The understanding of the phenomenon is used to…

Abstract

Purpose

The study aims to understand the phenomenon of workplace ostracism from multiple perspectives (target, perpetrator and observer). The understanding of the phenomenon is used to thematically analyse the antecedents of workplace ostracism and identify appropriate strategies for each antecedent.

Design/methodology/approach

The study findings are based on face-to-face semi-structured interviews with thirty-three senior and medium-level employees from various public and private sector organizations in India. The interview transcripts were systematically analyzed to identify antecedents of ostracism, which were inductively grouped together based on similarity.

Findings

The antecedents of workplace ostracism were grouped into four major heads: perceived non-alignment with organizational needs; emotional reaction; unconscious social processes and structural and demographic differences. Based on interview transcripts, strategies to reduce the effect of each of the broad antecedents of ostracism were identified.

Practical implications

Workplace ostracism has been linked with multiple negative outcomes including increased stress and turnover intention. The study provides managers with a framework that enables them to evaluate and understand incidences of ostracism among their subordinates. The study also equips managers with the knowledge of specific strategies for dealing with specific antecedents of ostracism.

Originality/value

The study answers the need to look at the phenomenon of ostracism through multiple perspectives. It identifies multiple potentially new antecedents and strategies to deal with workplace ostracism and groups them in a coherent manner. It is among the few studies on ostracism in India and extends the generalizability of the construct.

Details

Personnel Review, vol. ahead-of-print no. ahead-of-print
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0048-3486

Keywords

1 – 10 of over 1000