Don’t make me feel alone: Ostracism and its effects on Performance
Keywords:
Ostracism, Task performance, Contextual Performance, Counterproductive Work BehaviorAbstract
Organizations strive to create an environment where employees work as a team and their basic and advanced needs are fulfilled. One of the basic needs is the need for belongingness or social interaction. However, for certain reasons, some workers face social isolation and deliberate exclusion from social groups, called ostracism. Such a situation leads to poor psychological health and low performance. This study aims at the consequences of ostracism in public sector organizations in Punjab, Pakistan. Three dimensions of employee performance: task performance, contextual performance, and counterproductive work behavior have been measured, and the effects of ostracism on these performance dimensions have been analyzed through regression. A sample of 384 employees was collected using convenience sampling through a self-administered questionnaire. A high reliability of more than .70 was achieved, as indicated by the Cronbach alpha coefficient. Simple linear regression was used to see the effects of ostracism on performance dimensions. Results indicate that ostracism negatively affects task and contextual performance and increases deviant workplace behavior. It is recommended that managers should closely monitor the organizational environment and make sure that employees are not ostracized.
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