Coping with workplace ostracism: the roles of emotional exhaustion and resilience in deviant behavior

Abstract

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explicate the relationship between workplace ostracism and deviant behavior, and further test the mediating role of emotional exhaustion and the moderating role of resilience.Design/methodology/approachA sample of 409 first-line production workers from four manufacturing enterprises in China was collected. A moderated mediation analysis was employed to test the hypotheses and examine the relationships proposed in the research framework.FindingsThe findings indicate that emotional exhaustion could mediate the relationship between workplace ostracism and deviant behavior. Moreover, the results from the moderated mediation analysis suggest that the mediation of emotional exhaustion is moderated by resilience such that with a higher level of resilience, the mediation effect of emotional exhaustion becomes weaker.Research limitations/implicationsThe participants of this study are limited to manufacturing enterprises, and thus our findings may not be equally valid for other types of industries. Meanwhile, this study is a cross-sectional research that could not explain the causal relationship between workplace ostracism and deviant behavior.Practical implicationsThe present research can offer some managerial implications about how to avoid the occurrence of workplace ostracism and deviant behavior for organizations.Originality/valueThis study constructs a moderated mediation model by introducing the potential mediating role of emotional exhaustion and the moderating effect of resilience in order to reveal the mechanism through which workplace ostracism relates to deviant behavior. Our research not only integrates and enriches the ideas of the Stress-Non-Equilibrium-Compensation Approach and the Transactional Model of Stress and Coping Theory but could also inform future management practices for mitigating the negative consequences of workplace ostracism.

Emotional Neglect, Self-Deception, and Unethical Workplace Behavior: Moderating Effect of Machiavellianism

“…The findings of this study support the proposed model by accepting the stated hypotheses. The finding that emotionally neglected employees may indulge in unethical behavior (hypothesis 1) is consistent with the previous studies in which employees experiencing neglect, mistreatment, or ostracism (Jiang et al, 2020) at work may exhibit aggression or violence (Demir & Rodwell, 2012), distress, and revengeful behavior (Jena & Pradhan, 2018) and cause serious harm (Kampen, 2015). Individuals neglected in childhood indulged in abusive and neglected behavior (Cheng et al, 2021;Graupman, 2020).…”

“…The children facing parental emotional neglect may face externalizing problems due to their deviant peer affiliation (Yang et al, 2021). Likewise, employees overwhelmed by neglect exhibit apathy, distrust, the revengeful mood of employees towards management (Jena & Pradhan, 2018;Tang et al, 2020) and the emotional exhaustion resulting from workplace ostracism leads to deviant work behavior (Jiang et al, 2020). In this study, we explored that emotional neglect leads to unethical behavior using ethical fading theory.…”

Cross-Sectional Study of Resilience, Positivity and Coping Strategies as Predictors of Engagement-Burnout in Undergraduate Students: Implications for Prevention and Treatment in Mental Well-Being

“…Special attention must be given to the use of strategy F9 (Emotional venting and isolation), due to its harmful effect on physical and psychological health ( 126 ). This might suggest that the resilience factor tolerance to stress , as a passive or reactive factor in stress management, may involve harmful components from the behavioral point of view ( 127 ). The spirituality factor, however, predicted the combined use of problem- and emotion-focused strategies, making it a factor that adds value to the previous resilience factors ( 110 , 128 ).…”

The moderating effect of person–organization fit on the relationship between job stress and deviant behaviors of frontline employees

“…Different individuals may have various valuable resources depending on the experience and situation they face (Halbesleben et al , 2014). Job stress can be generated by several triggers, such as work overload and deficient interaction between individuals at work; working conditions, time pressure, family conflicts and interactions with customers; workplace incivility and employee cynicism; organizational politics and workplace victimization and emotional exhaustion (Abubakar et al , 2017, 2018; DeTienne et al , 2012; Geldart et al , 2018; Harms et al , 2017; Jiang et al , 2020). Responses to work stress are called strains: physiological, such as headaches and fatigue; psychological such as anxiety and helplessness (DeTienne et al , 2012; Halbesleben et al , 2014; Hobfoll, 1989; Hobfoll et al , 2018).…”