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DOI: https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.69.09.10
How to Cite:
Khalid, K. (2023). Workplace dynamics and individual outcomes: Role of workplace ostracism in shaping inner
resignation. Amazonia Investiga, 12(69), 120-131. https://doi.org/10.34069/AI/2023.69.09.10
Workplace dynamics and individual outcomes: Role of workplace
ostracism in shaping inner resignation
Received: August 16, 2023 Accepted: September 30, 2023
Written by:
Komal Khalid1
https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7220-6962
Abstract
This study aims to examine the influence of
workplace ostracism on horizontal workplace
violence, occupational self-efficacy, and inner
resignation in the faculty members working in
higher education institutions of Pakistan. In this
study, a survey was held for native Urdu speakers.
The back-to-back method was used for the
translation of the questionnaire. The translated
questionnaire was pilot tested with a small group to
ensure clarity. The total of 321 responses were
collected by using self-administered questionnaires
and online platform. The SPSS and Smart PLS4
software were utilized for hypothesis testing. The
results of the study show that respondents have low
workplace ostracism, horizontal workplace
violence, and inner resignation, whereas they
exhibit high occupational self-efficacy. The results
also indicate that workplace ostracism has the
strong and positive relation with horizontal
workplace violence while negative relation with
occupational self-efficacy. The findings of the
study show that interrelationship between
workplace ostracism and inner resignation is not an
isolated one but is significantly influenced by
horizontal workplace violence and occupational
self-efficacy.
Keywords: Workplace ostracism, Horizontal
workplace violence, Occupational self-efficacy,
Inner resignation, Higher education institutions.
SPSS Smart PLS4
Introduction
Workplace ostracism (WO) include practices
involving excluding, ignoring, or socially
isolating employees by other colleagues, has
emerged as a critical issue in the modern-day
workplace. With people spending considerable
time at work, social interactions with peers and
1 PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Human Resource Management, Faculty of Economics and Administration, King Abdulaziz
University, Saudi Arabia. WoS Researcher ID: O-6590-2015
superiors can significantly shape their workplace
experiences. The existence of workplace
ostracism (WO) has made it a growing concern
for not only researchers but also for the
organizations, and employees (Ferris et al., 2015;
Wang et al., 2022). It can have extensive negative
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influence on employees, resulting in increased
job dissatisfaction, psychological distress,
decreased job performance, and organizational
commitment. Beyond the level of the employees,
WO can significantly impact organizations,
resulting in lower morale, decreased
productivity, and increased turnover rates (Ferris
et al., 2015; Wu et al., 2016). As such, addressing
WO is vital to promote a healthy and inclusive
work environment that benefits individuals and
organizations (Li et al., 2021).
As an interpersonal stressor, WO jeopardizes
individuals' social resources, which are assets
that can be used to solve problems or deal with
challenging events as needed (Choi, 2020).
Therefore, employees perceive it as a threat,
when they observe a possible or actual loss of
these resources. Resource loss events are
responsible for most cases of depression
(Hobfoll, 1989). WO significantly limits the
resources that a person can keep. When
ostracized people use their social resources to
combat exclusion, they are less likely to
replenish those resources like others, which
causes their reserves to run low (Wu et al., 2021).
Those who lack resources may feel stressed and
exhausted since resources can help someone
manage daily work activities (Zhao et al., 2022).
The impact of WO can also be observed in other
organizational dimensions. When employees
experience WO can lead to exhaustion and the
depletion of their psychological, emotional, and
material resources (Ferris et al., 2015). This
passive interpersonal interaction can negatively
impact employees' psychological state and
behavior patterns (e.g., horizontal workplace
violence), decreasing participation, self-efficacy,
and emotional dependence on the organization
and others (Chi & Liang, 2013). Ostracized
employees may also experience negative
attitudes and retaliatory behavior including
burnout, emotional exhaustion, and inner
resignation (IR).
The study aims to find the influence of WO on
occupational self-efficacy (OSE), horizontal
workplace violence (HWV), and inner
resignation (IR) in the faculty members of higher
education institutions in Pakistan. The purpose of
the current study is to address and analyze the
two significant literature gaps. The first is a
population gap, with more research on WO
required in the education sector as most research
is only conducted in healthcare organizations.
Although the issue of WO is prevailing in many
organizations worldwide, research is still
required to understand that how WO is
established in economically under developed
country (i.e., Pakistan), where cultural and social
norms may differ from those in other countries.
The second gap is a theoretical gap in
understanding the relationship among WO,
HWV, OSE, and IR. Workplace ostracism and its
impact on HWV, OSE, and IR is a significant yet
insufficiently researched area within the higher
education sector, particularly in Pakistan. Most
academic research has either examined these
issues in isolation or primarily concentrated on
explicit manifestations of interpersonal conflicts
and their consequences, resulting in notable
knowledge gaps regarding these phenomena'
intricate and interrelated dynamics.
Theoretical Framework and Hypothesis
Development
Workplace ostracism is a destructive employee
behavior, where colleagues, superiors or other
employees deliberately excludes an employee
from organizational activities (such as ignoring
them, excluding them from meetings, or social
events) (Bedi, 2021). This type of behavior goes
against ethical norms and can cause significant
harm to the victim, raising ethical concerns in
organizations (Choi, 2020). Research shows that
WO has negative impacts on psychological and
work-related outcomes. WO can result in
increasing job stress, burnout, and workplace
violence, whereas it also decreases employee
performance, self-worth, and loyalty (Wu et al.,
2016; Ferris et al., 2015). Ostracism can not only
negatively impact the mental and physical health
of employees but can also hinder their work
performance (Li et al., 2021).
Horizontal Workplace Violence
Horizontal workplace violence (HWV) is a type
of workplace violence that occurs internally and
involves conflicts between groups (Al-Qadi,
2021; Jang et al., 2022). It can manifest in various
behaviors, including sabotage, infighting,
scapegoating, criticism, and other explicit and
implicit non-physical hostilities (Jang et al.,
2022). HWV also encompasses various forms of
hostile conduct, such as aggression, harassment,
detrimental actions, bullying, intimidation, or
physical confrontations between colleagues
(Hampton et al., 2019). The causes of this
phenomenon are diverse, stemming from
competitive environments, personal grievances,
organizational culture, or stress (Blackstock et
al., 2018). Studies conducted by Al-Qadi (2021)
and Hampton et al., (2019) stated that the
significant and extensive consequences of HWV,
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as it leads to reduced job satisfaction and
performance, and increased turnover intention,
mental and physical health issues.
WO can act as a precursor or catalyst for HWV
(MacLean et al., 2016). As employees feel
marginalized, they may resort to aggressive
behaviors as a coping mechanism or a means of
asserting their presence (Mendonca & D’Cruz,
2021). Given its passive-aggressive nature,
ostracism can be an insidious means by which
colleagues inflict harm on one another
(De Clercq et al., 2019). As ostracized
employees are perceived as weak and having lack
of social support resulting in increased
employee’s exposure to other forms of HWV
(Shorey & Wong, 2021).
H1: Workplace ostracism has a direct and
significant impact on horizontal workplace
violence.
Occupational Self-Efficacy
Occupational self-efficacy is an individual's
belief in their ability to perform specific tasks
efficiently in the workplace (Hartman & Barber,
2020). Bandura's social cognitive theory defines
faculty self-efficacy as teachers' confidence in
influencing student performance (Bandura,
1986). The OSE of faculty members is a major
factor in enhancing their occupational
effectiveness and retention (Muhangi, 2017).
Pfitzner-Eden (2016) stated that faculty members
having lower levels of OSE experience higher
job-related stress resulting in facing difficulty in
fulfilling their teaching responsibilities.
Horizontal Workplace Violence and
Occupational Self-Efficacy
According to research, exposure to HWV can
significantly affect a person's sense of self-
efficacy (Hsieh et al., 2019). Employees
experiencing HWV, frequently state feelings
such as helplessness, a loss of control, and doubt
regarding their professional success (Shorey &
Wong, 2021). Explicit and implicit consistent
negative feedback, can reduce an individual
confidence to carry out their work activities and
to deal with their work-related issues (De Clercq
et al., 2019).
Bandura's social cognitive theory (SCT) explains
that experiences like mastery, vicarious, verbal,
physiological, and affective influence self-
efficacy (Bandura, 1986). These experiences
involve direct experiences of job success or
failure, with success increasing self-efficacy and
failure decreasing it (Hui et al., 2023). In an
organization where hard work values HWV is
prominent, peers may deliberately undermine an
individual's efforts, leading to perceived failures
and lower occupational self-efficacy (Suggala et
al., 2021).
Furthermore, HWV can produce a pervasive
insecurity that makes victims more fearful of
upcoming interactions and difficulties at work
(Tziner et al., 2023). Because bullies frequently
target those, they believe to be weak or
vulnerable, this anxiety can create a vicious cycle
in which the person is exposed to more violence
tactics (Shorey & Wong, 2021).
H2: Horizontal workplace violence has a direct
and significant impact on occupational self-
efficacy.
Inner Resignation
Inner resignation (IR) refers to declining to
perform tasks or duties that extend beyond the
contractual obligations to restore fairness or
balance (Hartner-Tiefenthaler, 2021). This
occurs when employees feel that their
organization must fulfill its obligations but also
perceive an inherent injustice in the employee-
organization relationship (Hämmig, 2017). As
employees should follow their organizational
policies and procedures, it is also important for
the organizations to understand their
psychological processes their long-term effects.
For instance, employees who experience IR may
initially perform their tasks at similar levels but
eventually lose interest and loyalty (Sirsawy et
al., 2016).
A strong sense of OSE can act as a buffer against
IR (Weissenfels et al., 2021). Employee
experience less feelings of helplessness or
overwhelm, when they believe that they possess
the skills, knowledge, and abilities to handle their
job demands (Ampofo et al., 2020). An
individual with high OSE typically approaches
tasks with confidence, believing that they can
handle challenges and navigate workplace
obstacles. This proactive and confident approach
can help reduce feelings of emotional exhaustion
because the individual feels equipped to manage
work stressors (Pereira et al., 2021). Belief in
one's abilities is positively correlated with task
and colleague connection, personal achievement
perception, and further reducing one of the core
symptoms of IR (Lee & Liu, 2021).
H3: Occupational self-efficacy has a direct and
significant impact on inner resignation.
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Workplace Ostracism, Horizontal Workplace
Violence, and Occupational Self-Efficacy
The dynamic between WO and experiencing
HWV can greatly affect an individual's feeling of
professional competence and efficacy
(Mendonca & D’Cruz, 2021). Employee’s
experiencing ostracism, may become more
inclined to aggression or discouraging behaviors
from colleagues, which can further damage their
self-confidence (Zhang et al., 2023). Essentially,
the isolated employee not only feels alone but
also faces intentional actions from peers that can
cast doubt on their skills or competence. This
sense of rejection can lead to negative emotions,
such as self-doubt and isolation, which can be
amplified by HWV, ultimately leading to a
significant decrease in OSE (Suggala et al.,
2021).
Research has shown that exposure to or
witnessing HWV may harm employees OSE
(Shorey & Wong, 2021; Hui et al., 2023). The
harmful behaviors and attitudes linked with
HWV can profoundly impact employees, causing
them to internalize these negative experiences
and thereby compromise their confidence and
competence on the job (Tziner et al., 2023).
H4: The relationship between workplace
ostracism and occupational self-efficacy is
mediated by horizontal workplace violence.
Horizontal Workplace Violence, Occupational
Self-Efficacy, and Inner Resignation
According to social cognitive theory, OSE is the
employee's belief that he/she can succeed in
specific work-related situations (Bandura, 1986).
When an individual experiences HWV, their
belief in their ability to perform their tasks
effectively (OSE) may suffer (Ma et al., 2023). If
HWV depletes an individual's OSE (an essential
resource), it could pave the way for the
emergence of IR (Livne & Goussinsky, 2018).
In COR theory, Hobfoll (1989) provides an
additional perspective that people try to keep,
protect, and build their resources, and the
potential or actual loss of these important
resources can cause stress. The potential impact
of HWV on an individual's OSE, considered a
crucial resource, may contribute to the
development of IR (Xiao et al., 2022).
H5: The relationship between horizontal
workplace violence and employee’s inner
resignation is mediated by occupational self-
efficacy.
Workplace Ostracism, Horizontal Workplace
Violence, Occupational Self-Efficacy, and
Inner Resignation
An adverse consequence of WO is the heightened
probability of HWV (MacLean, et al., 2016).
According to Jahanzeb and Fatima (2018), it is
suggested that individuals who experience WO
may engage in these behaviors to regain lost
power, react to perceived threats, or manage
feelings of isolation. This self-belief can be
undermined by repeated exposure to HWV,
making a person feel less competent and valuable
in their roles (Bandura, 1986). A diminished
perception of OSE can play a significant role in
fostering a sense of IR (Ampofo et al., 2020).
Employees are more likely to withdraw from
tasks and mentally "check out" of their duties
when they doubt their abilities, which results in
this IR (Chang & Lee, 2020).
H6: The relationship between workplace
ostracism and an employee’s inner resignation is
serially mediated by horizontal workplace
violence and occupational self-efficacy.
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Figure 1. Theoretical Model
Methodology
Research Methods
This study utilizes quantitative research
methodology to achieve the research objectives.
The study analyzed the influence of WO on IR
through a mediated mediation analysis. The
researchers employed Partial Least Squares-
Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to
assess and analyze their theoretical framework.
This methodology enables researchers to analyze
the associations between observed and latent
variables while taking into consideration
discrepancies in the data.
Sample and Procedure
The data were gathered from the faculty
members (i.e., Lecturer, Assistant professor,
Associate professor, and Professor) of higher
education institutions of Pakistan. Based on the
barriers like time and cost, to acquire
representative sample for the study, purposive
sampling technique was utilized. The study
questionnaire was rigorously tested for accuracy,
equivalence, and suitability for native Urdu
speakers. The back-to-back translation method
was used for the questionnaire with the support
of language experts to preserve the original
questions' meaning.
Sample Size
The data collection process was planned and
executed quickly using an online platform and
personal administration to reach a diverse group
of participants. A total of 321 complete responses
were in three phases, between March 2023 to
August 2023. Demographic and IR data were
collected first. In the second phase, HWV and
OSE were collected, and in the last phase data
were collected for WO.
After conducting Cook and Leverage's outlier
test yielded 309 valid responses. Women
numbered 137, while the rest were men. 59.5%
were Ph.D. degree holders, whereas the
remaining were having Master degree in various
fields. In the respondents, 33.9% were Lecturers,
37.2% were assistant professors, 20.7% were
associate professors, and 0.8% were professors.
Research Instruments
The measurement section of this study utilized a
questionnaire as a tool for data collection. To
explain the overall objectives of the
questionnaire, the questionnaire includes
statements included the purpose, benefits, and
assurance of anonymity of the respondents. The
questionnaire consists of five subsections, with
the first subsection being demographic. The
participants were asked to rate each statement on
a Likert 5-point scale (1=never to 5=always). The
second subsection assessed WO using the 13-
items scale developed by Ferris et al., (2015).
The third subsection assessed OSE of the faculty
members by using the 12-item scale developed
by Caprara et al., (2003). Two items were
removed from the OSE analysis because of low
factor loading (value < 0.4). The fourth
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subsection assessed HWV, and the 08-item scale
was developed by Einarsen et al., (2003). The
fifth subsection assessed employee IR using
three items scale developed by Schmitz et al.,
(2002).
Result Analysis
Testing Descriptive Statistics
Table 1 presents the mean, standard deviation,
and Pearson correlation of the variables under
investigation. The mean and standard deviations
of the variables explain that respondents have
low WO, HWV, and inner resignation whereas
they exhibit high OSE. The Pearson correlation
statistics in Table 2 show that between study
variables, WO and HWV has the strongest and
positive relation (r = 0.671**), while HWV and
OSE has strongest negative relation (r = -
0.514**).
Table 1.
Descriptive Statistics and Pearson Correlation Analysis
Descriptive Statistics
Pearson Correlation Analysis
Construct
Mean
S. D
WO
HWV
OSE
IR
Age
4.241
1.154
Experience
2.647
1.241
Education
1.672
0.582
Employment Status
3.547
0.353
WO
1.700
0.451
1
HWV
1.550
0.338
0.671**
1
OSE
4.371
0.267
-0.400**
-.514**
1
IR
1.613
0.382
.470**
.556**
-.485**
1
Note 1: **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). Note 2: Workplace Ostracism (WO); Horizontal Workplace Violence (HWV); Occupational Self-Efficacy (OSE);
Inner Resignation (IR)
Assessment of Reflective Measurements
The researchers employed the method Dijkstra
and Henseler (2015) recommended to evaluate
the reliability and validity of the reflective
constructs. Overall, the measurement tools used
in this study proved reliable, valid, and relevant
for measuring the constructs of interest in the
study. The Cronbach's alpha, rho-a, composite
reliability, and AVE values, respectively, for the
WO (0.945, 0.946, 0.952, 0.604), HWV (0.844,
0.845, 0.880, 0.580), OSE (0.722, 0.731, 0.783,
0.553), and IR (0.770, 0.775, 0.821, 0.564) were
found to be in an acceptable range. This suggests
that the constructs are reliable and that the items
measure the same underlying construct. All
constructs have loadings between 0.623 and
0.816, meeting the 0.40 or higher recommended
criteria. Variance inflation factor assessed
multicollinearity. VIF values (1.169–2.156) are
below threshold 3 (Table 2).
Table 2.
Assessment of Reflective Measurement
Construct
Items
Type
Loading
CA
rho_A
CR
AVE
VIF
Workplace
Ostracism
WO 1 - WO 13
Reflective
0.720 -
0.816
0.945
0.946
0.952
0.604
1.169-
2.156
Horizontal
Workplace
Violence
HWV 1 - HWV 8
Reflective
0.623 - 0.762
0.844
0.845
0.880
0.580
1.378 -
1.877
Occupational
Self-Efficacy
OSE 2 -4
& 6 -12
Reflective
0.713 - 0.794
0.722
0.731
0.783
0.553
1.210 - 1.753
Inner
Resignation
IR 1-3
Reflective
0.704 -
0.741
0.770
0.775
0.821
0.564
1.247 - 1.299
Note: CA= Cronbach Alpha; CR = Composite Reliability; AVE = Average Variance Extracted; VIF = Variance
Inflation Factor; BCCI = Bias Corrected Confidence Interval
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Discriminant Validity
The discriminant validity of the study constructs
(i.e., WO, HWV, OSE, and IR) was evaluated
based on two criteria. One of them was the
Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) ratio, which
facilitated the comparison of correlations
between constructs. According to Henseler et al.,
(2015), constructs were considered non-unique if
their values exceeded 0.90. Furthermore, the
Fornell-Larcker criterion involves comparing the
variance explained by each construct with its
correlation with other constructs. The diagonal
numbers in bold indicate the amount of variance
explained by each construct, while the remaining
numbers represent the correlation between
constructs. The unique constructs exhibited
higher variance than their correlation (Fornell &
Larcker, 1981). Table 3 demonstrates the
distinctiveness and uniqueness of each construct,
as evidenced by the higher variance compared to
the correlation.
Table 3.
Discriminant Analysis (HTMT and Fornell-Larcker Criterion)
Hetro-Trait Mono-Trait (HTMT) Criterion
Fornell-Larcker Criterion
Ostracism
HWV
OSE
IR
Ostracism
HWV
OSE
IR
Ostracism
0.777
HWV
0.707
0.712
0.762
OSE
0.587
0.750
-0.588
-0.693
0.743
IR
0.735
0.830
0.768
0.594
0.627
-0.637
0.751
Note 1: The bold numbers in diagonal in Fornell- Larcker section are the square root of AVE of each construct,
and other numbers are correlations between constructs Note 2: Horizontal Workplace Violence (HWV); Occupational Self-Efficacy (OSE); Inner Resignation (IR)
Model Evaluation
Table 4 reveals that all variables have SRMR
values of 0.079 and NFI values of 0.91,
indicating that the model fits the empirical data
accurately. In addition, the Q2Predict values for
HWV (0.655) and OSE (0.358) indicate high
predictive relevance with large effect sizes. In
contrast, the Q2Predict value for IR (0.286)
indicates high predictive relevance with medium
effect sizes (Henseler et al., 2015). These
Q2Predict values exceed the recommended
minimum threshold of 0.00 and demonstrate the
model's strong predictive ability for each
variable. In addition, the Q2 effect sizes for
HWV, OSE, and IR indicate that these variables
substantially influence the endogenous variable
(WO).
Table 4.
Model Evaluation
SRMR
adj
2
R
NFI
predict
2
Q
Q² Effect
WO
0.079
0.915
HWV
0.659
0.655
Large
OSE
0.492
0.358
Large
IR
0.404
0.286
Medium
for Predictive
Predict
2
Note: SRMR (Standardized Root Mean Square Residual); NFI (Normed Fit Index); Q
Relevance
Hypothesis Testing
The results of the hypothesis evaluation are
presented in Table 5 and Figure 2. The table
provides the results of a path analysis examining
the relationships between WO, HWV, OSE, and
IR. The results suggest that all the proposed
hypotheses are supported, with significant direct
or indirect effects between the variables.
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Table 5.
Results of Hypothesis Testing
Hypot
hesis
Direct / Indirect Effects
Path
Coefficient
T
statistics
P
values
Bias
BCCI
Hypothesis
Support
2.50%
97.50%
1
H
WO -> HWV
0.812
31.874
0.000
0.001
0.759
0.857
Supported
2
H
HWV -> OSE
-0.701
17.122
0.000
-0.002
-0.759
-0.594
Supported
3
H
OSE -> IR
-0.635
16.016
0.000
-0.004
-0.702
-0.546
Supported
4
H
WO -> HWV -> OSE
-0.569
12.409
0.000
-0.001
-0.652
-0.474
Supported
5
H
HWV -> OSE -> IR
0.446
9.211
0.000
0.003
0.339
0.532
Supported
6
H
WO -> HWV -> OSE
-> IR
0.362
7.756
0.000
0.003
0.267
0.448
Supported
Note: Workplace Ostracism (WO); Horizontal Workplace Violence (HWV); Occupational Self-Efficacy (OSE);
Inner Resignation (IR); Bias Corrected Confidence Interval (BCCI)
Specifically, WO was found to have a significant
positive direct effect on HWV (β = 0.812,
p<0.000, t = 31.874), supporting H1. HWV,
conversely, has a significant negative direct
effect on OSE (β = -0.701, p<0.000, t = 17.122),
thus supporting H2. In addition, a significant
negative direct effect of OSE on IR was observed
(β = -0.635, p<0.000, t = 16.016), supporting
hypothesis H3. The product coefficient approach
(Indirect effect) was used to evaluate the
significance of indirect effects using bias-
corrected confidence intervals (BCCI)
(Rasoolimanesh et al., 2021). Furthermore, the
analysis found that the indirect effects of WO on
OSE through HWV [β = -0.569, p<0.000, t =
12.409, BCCI = (-0.625, -0.474)], and HWV on
IR through OSE [β = 0.446, p<0.000, t = 9.211,
BCCI = (0.339, 0.532)] were also significant,
indicating that these variables partially mediate
the relationship between WO and IR. These
results support hypotheses H4 and H5. The results
indicate that the impact of WO on IR is
sequentially mediated through HWV and OSE [β
= 0.362, p 0.000, BCCI = (0.267, 0.448)], thereby
proving H6. Nevertheless, as the WO rises, the
projected direct relationship's direction shifts,
indicating that as IR rises, so do the levels of
HWV and consequential decrease in the levels of
OSE. This demonstrates the significance of the
impact of IR on sequential mediation.
Figure 2. Results: Assessment of Structural Model
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Discussion
The findings of this study shed light on the
relationship among WO, HWV, OSE, and IR.
The study employed a path analysis approach to
examine the direct effects of these variables and
utilized the product coefficient approach to
assess potential mediating effects.
Firstly, the results indicate that WO has a
significant positive direct effect on IR. This
finding suggests that when employees experience
WO, their intention to remain with the
organization diminishes. WO refers to the act of
excluding or isolating individuals in the
workplace, leading to feelings of exclusion and
reduced belongingness. The positive direct effect
implies that WO positively impacts IR,
potentially leading to higher turnover rates.
Secondly, the study reveals a significant positive
direct effect of WO on HWV. The findings
suggest that employees experiencing WO are
more likely to involve in activities that are
harmful to the organization. WO can elicit
negative emotional responses, such as
resentment or frustration, which may manifest as
HWV. These behaviors can include intentionally
underperforming, spreading rumors, or engaging
in acts of sabotage. The positive direct effect
highlights the role of WO in fostering HWV.
Furthermore, the findings demonstrate a
significant negative direct effect of WO on OSE.
This suggests that individuals who experience
work ostracism may develop lower levels of
OSE. WO may result in reducing employee’s
self-efficacy about themselves and their
occupation. The negative direct effect indicates
that work ostracism has a detrimental impact on
employees' OSE.
The study also examined the indirect effects of
WO on IR through the mediating variables of
HWV and OSE. The analysis revealed that these
indirect effects were also significant.
Specifically, both HWV and OSE partially
mediated the relationship between WO and IR.
These findings suggest that WO not only directly
affects IR but also exerts its influence indirectly
through the mediating variables of HWV and
OSE. Employees who experience work ostracism
may be more inclined to engage in HWV and
develop negative OSE, which can contribute to
their emotional exhaustion and intention to leave
the organization.
Conclusion
The research findings strongly suggest that WO
profoundly impacts the development of IR
among faculty members in HEIs in Pakistan. It is
important to note that this connection is not an
isolated one but is significantly influenced by the
occurrence of HWV, which, in turn, undermines
OSE. It is essential to implement thorough
interventions that specifically address ostracism
and its detrimental effects due to the complex
interplay of these factors. Such interventions are
required to promote the well-being and
participation of faculty members in the academic
setting of Pakistan's HEIs.
Implications
The cultural, social, and organizational
differences in Pakistan's HEIs give rise to unique
implications for the relationships within these
institutions. It is imperative to examine the issue
of ostracism and its consequences to foster a
cooperative academic atmosphere within HEIs in
Pakistan. WO can have a profound effect on a
faculty member's sense of belonging and
motivation in Pakistan's academic setting. This is
particularly concerning in an environment that
values collaboration, collective research
endeavors, and teaching rooted in community
engagement. Ostracism is associated with a
psychological state known as role
disengagement, wherein individuals disengage
from their roles despite outwardly appearing
engaged (Kašpárková et al., 2018).
When faculty members feel excluded, they may
become more susceptible to peer aggression or
engage in such behaviors themselves to assert
their social standing (Haldorai et al., 2020). Acts
of violence, including verbal confrontations,
professional sabotage, and the deliberate
withholding of vital information, can worsen the
isolation and potential for interpersonal conflict.
Consistent exclusion of faculty members can
decrease their professional self-assurance. The
direct consequence of HWV is a decrease in self-
efficacy, which can be further diminished by
WO. Improving OSE can mitigate the adverse
psychological consequences experienced by
faculty members due to exclusion, thereby
safeguarding their professional productivity and
well-being.
To promote a dynamic academic environment
within HEIs in Pakistan, it is essential to
acknowledge and address WO and its associated
consequences. The convergence of WO, HWV,
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and diminished OSE has the potential to generate
a pervasive state of interpersonal conflict within
the academic faculty. This can result in a
decrease in research quality, teaching standards,
student mentorship, and academic productivity.
These problems can ultimately result in faculty
turnover, decreased employee engagement, and
negatively impact the institution's reputation. For
the success and wellbeing of the faculty members
and HEIs, it is essential to address issues like
WO, HWV, OSE, and IR.
Future Directions and Limitations
It is imperative to comprehend the dynamics of
WO in specialized contexts, particularly in HEIs
in Pakistan. Future research should adopt a
hybrid methodology that explores mechanisms
across diverse cultural contexts to gain a deeper
understanding. Investigating the comparable
dynamics among administrative staff, graduate
assistants, and even postgraduate students who
may assume roles like those found in academic
settings would be interesting. Longitudinal
research can provide insight into WO's cyclical
nature and long-term consequences. Future
studies might examine alternative mediators or
moderators like social support or organizational
justice and emotional exhaustion as a mediator.
Understanding these intricate interactions can
lead to a more comprehensive perspective.
Finally, during and post COVID-19 pandemic,
online teaching methods (through Blackboard,
Team, and ZOOM) has increased, research in the
area of virtual ostracism and its impact on
effective learning environment or faculty
efficiency is essential.
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