Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-28T01:38:49.956Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Needs frustration makes me silent: Workplace ostracism and newcomers’ voice behavior

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  14 January 2018

Wen Wu ,
Yongzheng Qu ,
Yihua Zhang ,
Shengyue Hao ,
Fangcheng Tang ,
Na Zhao  and
Haijian Si
Wen Wu*
Affiliation:
School of Economics & Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
Yongzheng Qu
Affiliation:
School of Economics & Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
Yihua Zhang
Affiliation:
Department of Economics, University of California, Davis, CA, USA
Shengyue Hao
Affiliation:
School of Economics & Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
Fangcheng Tang
Affiliation:
School of Economics & Management, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, China
Na Zhao
Affiliation:
School of Business, Renmin University, Beijing, China
Haijian Si
Affiliation:
School of Economics & Management, Beijing Jiaotong University, Beijing, China
*
Corresponding authors: Shengyue Hao and Fangcheng Tang ([email protected])
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Employing self-determination theory, in this study, we explore how workplace ostracism (being ignored and excluded by others) affects newcomer’s voice behavior. Through an empirical study with 353 matched supervisor–subordinate pairs from a large high-technology company, we find that workplace ostracism has negative influence on newcomer’s both promotive and prohibitive voice through the mediating effect of psychological needs satisfaction. In addition, narcissism moderates the effects of ostracism on psychological needs satisfaction. Theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Keywords

narcissismpromotive voiceprohibitive voicepsychological needs satisfactionworkplace ostracism
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Management & Organization , Volume 25 , Issue 5 , September 2019 , pp. 635 - 652
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Footnotes

This paper is supported by Beijing Jiaotong University Talent Funding Project B15RC00130, Beijing Social Science Funding Project B16HZ00150, and China National Science Funding Project 71532003.

References

Ackerman, R. A., Witt, E. A., Donnellan, M. B., Trzesniewski, K. H., Robins, R. W., & Kashy, D. A. (2011). What does the Narcissistic Personality Inventory really measure? Assessment, 18(1), 67–87.Google Scholar
Aiken, L., & West, S. (1991). Multiple regression: Testing and interpreting interactions. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Allen, D. G. (2006). Do organizational socialization tactics influence newcomer embeddedness and turnover? Journal of Management, 32(2), 237–256.Google Scholar
Ames, D. R., Rose, P., & Anderson, C. P. (2006). The NPI-16 as a short measure of narcissism. Journal of Research in Personality, 40(4), 440–450.Google Scholar
Ashforth, B. E., & Mael, F. (1989). Social identity theory and the organization. Academy of Management Review, 14(1), 20–39.Google Scholar
American Psychiatric Association: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.) (2013). Arlington, VA: American Psychiatric Press.Google Scholar
Baron, R. M., & Kenny, D. A. (1986). The moderator-mediator variable distinction in social psychological research: Conceptual, strategic, and statistical considerations. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 51, 1173–1182.Google Scholar
Bauer, T. N., Bodner, T., Erdogan, B., Truxillo, D. M., & Tucker, J. S. (2007). Newcomer adjustment during organizational socialization: A meta-analytic review of antecedents, outcomes, and methods. Journal of Applied Psychology, 92, 707–721.Google Scholar
Bauer, T. N., & Truxillo, D. M. (2000). Temp-to-permanent employees: A longitudinal study of stress and selection success. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 5(3), 337–346.Google Scholar
Baumeister, R. F., DeWall, C. N., Ciarocco, N. J., & Twenge, J. M. (2005). Social exclusion impairs self-regulation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 88(4), 589–604.Google Scholar
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117, 497–529.Google Scholar
Berger, C. R., & Calabrese, R. J. (1975). Some explorations in initial interaction and beyond: Toward a developmental theory of interpersonal communication. Human Communication Research, 1(2), 99–112.Google Scholar
Bogart, L. M., Benotsch, E. G., & Pavlovic, J. D. P. (2004). Feeling superior but threatened: The relation of narcissism to social comparison. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 26(1), 35–44.Google Scholar
Bruneau, T. J. (1973). Communicative silences: Forms and functions. Journal of Communication, 23(1), 17–46.Google Scholar
Buss, D. M., & Chiodo, L. M. (1991). Narcissistic acts in everyday life. Journal of Personality, 59(2), 179–215.Google Scholar
Campbell, W. K., Goodie, A. S., & Foster, J. D. (2004). Narcissism, confidence, and risk attitude. Journal of Behavioral Decision Making, 17(4), 297–311.Google Scholar
Campbell, W. K., Reeder, G. D., Sedikides, C., & Elliot, A. J. (2000). Narcissism and comparative self-enhancement strategies. Journal of Research in Personality, 34(3), 329–347.Google Scholar
Cooley, C. H. (1902). Human nature and the social order. New York: Scribner.Google Scholar
Crant, M. J. (2003). Speaking up when encouraged: Predicting voice behavior in a naturally-occurring setting. Paper presented at the 2003 Annual Meeting of the Academy of Management, Seattle, WA.Google Scholar
deCharms, R. (1968). Personal causation. New York: Academic Press.Google Scholar
Deci, E. L. (1975). Intrinsic motivation. New York: Plenum.Google Scholar
Deci, E. L., & Ryan, R. M. (1980). Self-determination theory: When mind mediates behavior. The Journal of Mind and Behavior, 13(1), 33–43.Google Scholar
Deci, E. L., Ryan, R. M., Gagné, M., Leone, D. R., Usunov, J., & Kornazheva, B. P. (2001). Need satisfaction, motivation, and well-being in the work organizations of a former Eastern bloc country: A crosscultural study of self-determination. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 27, 930–942.Google Scholar
Detert, J. R., & Burris, E. R. (2007). Leadership behavior and employee voice: Is the door really open? Academy of Management Journal, 50(4), 869–884.Google Scholar
Detert, J. R., & Edmondson, A. C. (2007). Why employees are afraid to speak? Harvard Business Review, 85(5), 23–25.Google Scholar
Duffy, M., Ganster, D., & Pagon, M. (2002). Social undermining in the workplace. Academy of Management Journal, 45(2), 331–351.Google Scholar
Dutton, J. E., & Ashford, S. J. (1993). Selling issues to top management. Academy of Management Review, 18(3), 397–428.Google Scholar
Dutton, J. E., Ashford, S. J., O’neill, R. M., Hayes, E., & Wierba, E. E. (1997). Reading the wind: How middle managers assess the context for selling issues to top managers. Strategic Management Journal, 18(5), 407–423.Google Scholar
Edmondson, A. (1999). Psychological safety and learning behavior in work teams. Administrative Science Quarterly, 44(2), 350–383.Google Scholar
Edmondson, A. C. (1996). Learning from mistakes is easier said than done: Group and organizational influences on the detection and correction of human error. The Journal of Applied Behavioral Science, 32(1), 5–28.Google Scholar
Edmondson, A. C. (2003). Speaking up in the operating room: How team leaders promote learning in interdisciplinary action teams. Journal of Management Studies, 40(6), 1419–1452.Google Scholar
Edwards, J. R., & Lambert, L. S. (2007). Methods for integrating moderation and mediation: A general analytical framework using moderated path analysis. Psychological Methods, 12, 1–22.Google Scholar
Emmons, R. A. (1987). Narcissism: theory and measurement. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 52(1), 11–17.Google Scholar
Eisenberg, R., Fasolo, P., & Davis-LaMastro, V. (1990). Perceived organizational support and employee diligence, commitment, and innovation. Journal of Applied Psychology, 75(1), 51–59.Google Scholar
Ferris, D. L., Brown, D. J., Berry, J. W., & Lian, H. (2008). The development and validation of the Workplace Ostracism Scale. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(6), 1348–1366.Google Scholar
Fuller, J. B., Hester, K., Barnett, T., Frey, L., Relyea, C., & Beu, D. (2006). Perceived external prestige and internal respect: New insights into the organizational identification process. Human Relations, 59(6), 815–846.Google Scholar
Fuller, J. B., Marler, L. E., & Hester, K. (2006). Promoting felt responsibility for constructive change and proactive behavior: Exploring aspects of an elaborated model of work design . Journal of Organizational Behavior, 27, 1089–1120.Google Scholar
Gagné, M., & Deci, E. L. (2005). Self-determination theory and work motivation. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26(4), 331–362.Google Scholar
Gerber, J. P., & Wheeler, L. (2014). Clarifying the relationship between ostracism and relational devaluation. The Journal of Social Psychology, 154(1), 14–27.Google Scholar
Gerstner, W. C., König, A., Enders, A., & Hambrick, D. C. (2013). CEO narcissism, audience engagement, and organizational adoption of technological discontinuities. Administrative Science Quarterly, 58(2), 257–291.Google Scholar
Gladwell, M. (2008). Outliers: The Story of Success. New York, NY: Hachette Book Group Inc.Google Scholar
Grant, A. M. (2013). Rocking the boat but keeping it steady: The role of emotion regulation in employee voice. Academy of Management Journal, 56, 1703–1723.Google Scholar
Greenberg, J., Solomon, S., Pyszczynski, T., Rosenblatt, A., Burling, J., Lyon, D., Simon, L., & Pinel, E. (1992). Why do people need self-esteem? Converging evidence that self-esteem serves an anxiety-buffering function. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63(6), 913–922.Google Scholar
Greguras, G. J., & Diefendorff, J. M. (2009). Different fits satisfy different needs: Linking person-environment fit to employee commitment and performance using self-determination theory. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94, 465–477.Google Scholar
Grijalva, E., & Harms, P. D. (2014). Narcissism: An integrative synthesis and dominance complementarity model. The Academy of Management Perspectives, 28(2), 108–127.Google Scholar
Grijalva, E., Harms, P. D., Newman, D. A., Gaddis, B. H., & Fraley, R. C. (2015). Narcissism and leadership: A meta-analytic review of linear and nonlinear relationships. Personnel Psychology, 68, 1–47.Google Scholar
Gumpel, T. P., Wiesenthal, V., & Soderberg, P. (2015). Narcissism, perceived social status, and social cognition and their influence on aggression. Behavioral Disorders, 40(2), 138–156.Google Scholar
Hepper, E. G., Gramzow, R. H., & Sedikides, C. (2010). Individual differences in self-enhancement and self-protection strategies: An integrative analysis. Journal of Personality, 78(2), 781–814.Google Scholar
Hitlan, R. T., Cliffton, R. J., & DeSoto, M. C. (2006). Perceived exclusion in the workplace: The moderating effects of gender on work-related attitudes and psychological health. North American Journal of Psychology, 8(2), 217–236.Google Scholar
Hobfoll, S. E. (1989). Conservation of resources: A new attempt at conceptualizing stress. American Psychologist, 44(3), 513–524.Google Scholar
Jones, G. R. (1986). Socialization tactics, self-efficacy, and newcomers’ adjustments to organizations. Academy of Management Journal, 29(2), 262–279.Google Scholar
Judge, T. A., LePine, J. A., & Rich, B. L. (2006). Loving yourself abundantly: Relationship of the narcissistic personality to self- and other perceptions of workplace deviance, leadership, and task and contextual performance. Journal of Applied Psychology, 91, 762–776.Google Scholar
Kammeyer-Mueller, J., Wanberg, C., Rubenstein, A., & Song, Z. (2013). Support, undermining, and newcomer socialization: Fitting in during the first 90 days. Academy of Management Journal, 56, 1104–1124.Google Scholar
Kasser, T., Davey, J., & Ryan, R. M. (1992). Motivation and employee-supervisor discrepancies in a psychiatric vocational rehabilitation setting. Rehabilitation Psychology, 37(3), 175–188.Google Scholar
Katz, R. (1985). Organizational stress and early socialization experiences. In T. A. Beehr & R. S. Bhagat (Eds.), Human stress and cognition in organizations (pp. 117–139). New York: Wiley.Google Scholar
Kim, T. Y., Cable, D. M., & Kim, S. P. (2005). Socialization tactics, employee proactivity, and person-organization fit. Journal of Applied Psychology, 90, 232–241.Google Scholar
Lam, S., Law, W., Chan, C., Wong, B. P. H., & Zhang, X. (2015). A latent class growth analysis of school bullying and its social context: The self-determination theory perspective. School Psychology Quarterly, 30(1), 75–90.Google Scholar
Lanaj, K., Johnson, R. E., & Lee, S. M. (2016). Benefits of transformational behaviors for leaders: A daily investigation of leader behaviors and need fulfillment. Journal of Applied Psychology, 101(2), 237–251.Google Scholar
LePine, J. A., & Van Dyne, L. (1998). Predicting voice behavior in work groups. Journal of Applied Psychology, 83(6), 853–868.Google Scholar
LePine, J. A., & Van Dyne, L. (2001). Voice and cooperative behavior as contrasting forms of contextual performance: Evidence of differential relationships with big five personality characteristics and cognitive ability. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86, 326–336.Google Scholar
Liang, J., Farh, C. I. C., & Farh, J. L. (2012). Psychological antecedents of promotive and prohibitive voice: A two-wave examination. Academy of Management Journal, 55, 71–92.Google Scholar
Lindell, M. K., & Whitney, D. J. (2001). Accounting for common method variance in cross-sectional research designs. Journal of Applied Psychology, 86(1), 114–121.Google Scholar
Liu, W., Zhu, R., & Yang, Y. (2010). I warn you because I like you: Voice behavior, employee identifications and transformational leadership. Leadership Quarterly, 21, 189–202.Google Scholar
Louis, M. R. (1980). Career transitions: Varieties and commonalities. Academy of Management Review, 5(3), 329–340.Google Scholar
Malhotra, N. K., Kim, S. S., & Patil, A. (2006). Common method variance in IS research: A comparison of alternative approaches and a reanalysis of past research. Management Science, 52, 1865–1883.Google Scholar
Milliken, F. J., Morrison, E. W., & Hewlin, P. F. (2003). An exploratory study of employee silence: Issues that employees don’t communicate upward and why. Journal of Management Studies, 40, 1453–1476.Google Scholar
Morf, C. C., & Rhodewalt, F. (1993). Narcissism and self-evaluation maintenance: Explorations in object relations. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 19(6), 668–676.Google Scholar
Morf, C. C., & Rhodewalt, F. (2001). Unraveling the paradoxes of narcissism: A dynamic self-regulatory processing model. Psychological Inquiry, 12, 177–196.Google Scholar
Morrison, E. W., & Milliken, F. J. (2000). Organizational silence: A barrier to change and development in a pluralistic world. Academy of Management Review, 25, 706–725.Google Scholar
Nahrgang, J. D., Morgeson, F. P., & Ilies, R. (2009). The development of leader–member exchanges: Exploring how personality and performance influence leader and member relationships over time. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 108(2), 256–266.Google Scholar
Nifadkar, S. S., Tsui, A. S., & Ashforth, B. E. (2012). The way you make me feel and behave: Supervisor-triggered newcomer affects and approach–avoidance behavior. Academy of Management Journal, 55, 1146–1168.Google Scholar
Organ, D. W. (1988). A restatement of the satisfaction-performance hypothesis. Journal of Management, 14(4), 547–557.Google Scholar
Orth, U., & Luciano, E. C. (2015). Self-esteem, narcissism, and stressful life events: Testing for selection and socialization. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 109(4), 707–721.Google Scholar
Parker, S. K., Bindl, U., & Strauss, K. (2010). Making things happen: A model of proactive motivation. Journal of Management, 36(4), 827–856.Google Scholar
Pavot, W., & Diener, E. (2013). Happiness experienced: The science of subjective well-being. In David, S. A., Boniwell, I., & Ayers, A. C. (Eds.), The Oxford handbook of happiness (pp. 134–151). New York: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Poile, C. (2017). Why would I help my coworker? Exploring asymmetric task dependence and the self-determination theory internalization process. Journal of Experimental Psychology (Applied), 23(3), 354–368.Google Scholar
Raskin, R., Novacek, J., & Hogan, R. (1991). Narcissistic self-esteem management. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 60(6), 911–918.Google Scholar
Rhodewalt, F., & Eddings, S. K. (2002). Narcissus reflects: Memory distortion in response to ego-relevant feedback among high-and low-narcissistic men. Journal of Research in Personality, 36(2), 97–116.Google Scholar
Rollag, K., Parise, S., & Cross, R. (2005). Getting new hires up to speed quickly. MIT Sloan Management Review, 46(2), 35.Google Scholar
Rosen, C. C., Ferris, D. L., Brown, D. J., Chen, Y., & Yan, M. (2014). Perceptions of organizational politics: A need satisfaction paradigm. Organization Science, 25(4), 1026–1055.Google Scholar
Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2000). Self-determination theory and the facilitation of intrinsic motivation, social development, and well-being. American Psychologist, 55(1), 68–78.Google Scholar
Ryan, R. M., Sheldon, K. M., Kasser, T., & Deci, E. L. (1996). All goals are not created equal: An organismic perspective on the nature of goals and their regulation.Google Scholar
Saks, A. M., & Ashforth, B. E. (1997). Organizational socialization: Making sense of the past and present as a prologue for the future. Journal of Vocational Behavior, 51(2), 234–279.Google Scholar
Schwartz, B. (2000). Self-determination: The tyranny of freedom. American Psychologist, 55(1), 79–88.Google Scholar
Schwartz, J., & Wald, M. L. (2003). The Nation: NASA’s curse? “Groupthink” is 30 years old, and still going strong. New York Times, 9 March, p. 5.Google Scholar
Scott, S. G., & Bruce, R. A. (1994). Determinants of innovative behavior: A path model of individual innovation in the workplace. Academy of Management Journal, 37(3), 580–607.Google Scholar
Sheldon, K. M., Ryan, R. M., & Reis, H. T. (1996). What makes for a good day? Competence and autonomy in the day and in the person. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 22, 1270–1279.Google Scholar
Skinner, E. A. (1995). Perceived control, motivation, and coping: Individual differences and development series (Vol. 8) . Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.Google Scholar
Stamper, C. L., & Dyne, L. V. (2001). Work status and organizational citizenship behavior: A field study of restaurant employees. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 22(5), 517–536.Google Scholar
Takeuchi, R., Chen, Z., & Cheung, S. Y. (2012). Applying uncertainty management theory to employee voice behavior: An integrative investigation. Personnel Psychology, 65, 283–323.Google Scholar
Tangirala, S., Kamdar, D., Venkataramani, V., & Parke, M. R. (2013). Doing right versus getting ahead: The effects of duty and achievement orientations on employees’ voice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 98(6), 1040–1050.Google Scholar
Tangirala, S., & Ramanujam, R. (2008). Employee silence on critical work issues: The cross level effects of procedural justice climate. Personnel Psychology, 61(1), 37–68.Google Scholar
Tucker, S., Chmiel, N., Turner, N., Hershcovis, M. S., & Stride, C. B. (2008). Perceived organizational support for safety and employee safety voice: The mediating role of coworker support for safety. Journal of Occupational Health Psychology, 13(4), 319–330.Google Scholar
Vallerand, R. J. (2000). Deci and Ryan’s self-determination theory: A view from the hierarchical model of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Psychological Inquiry, 11, 312–318.Google Scholar
Van den Broeck, A., Ferris, D. L., Chang, C. H., & Rosen, C. C. (2016). A review of self-determination theory’s basic psychological needs at work. Journal of Management, 42(5), 1195–1229.Google Scholar
Van Dyne, L., Ang, S., & Botero, I. C. (2003). Conceptualizing employee silence and employee voice as multidimensional constructs. Journal of Management Studies, 40, 1359–1392.Google Scholar
Van Dyne, L., Cummings, L. L., & McLean Parks, J. (1995). Extra-role behaviors: In pursuit of construct and definitional clarity. In B. M. Staw & L. L. Cummings (Eds.), Research in organizational behavior (pp. 215–285). Greenwich, CT: JAI Press.Google Scholar
Van Dyne, L., Kamdar, D., & Joireman, J. (2008). In-role perceptions buffer the negative impact of low (LMX) on helping and enhance the positive impact of high (LMX) on voice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93, 1195–1207.Google Scholar
Van Maanen, J., & Schein, E. H. (1979). Toward a theory of organizational socialization. In B. Staw (Ed.), Research in organizational behavior (pp. 209–264). Greenwich, CT: JAI.Google Scholar
Vansteenkiste, M., & Ryan, R. M. (2013). On psychological growth and vulnerability: Basic psychological need satisfaction and need frustration as a unifying principle. Journal of Psychotherapy Integration, 23(3), 263–280.Google Scholar
Vecchio, R. (2005). Explorations in employee envy: Feeling envious and feeling envied. Cognition & Emotion, 19(1), 69–81.Google Scholar
Wallace, H. M., & Baumeister, R. F. (2002). The performance of narcissists rises and falls with perceived opportunity for glory. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 82(5), 819–834.Google Scholar
Wei, X., Zhang, Z. X., & Chen, X. P. (2015). I will speak up if my voice is socially desirable: A moderated mediating process of promotive versus prohibitive voice. Journal of Applied Psychology, 100(5), 1641–1652.Google Scholar
White, R. W. (1959). Motivation reconsidered: The concept of competence. Psychological Review, 66(5), 297–333.Google Scholar
White, R. W. (1963). Sense of interpersonal competence: Two case studies and some reflections on origins.Google Scholar
Williams, K. D. (2001). Ostracism: The power of silence. New York, NY: Guilford Press.Google Scholar
Williams, K. D. (2007). Ostracism: The kiss of social death. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 1(1), 236–247.Google Scholar
Williams, K. D. (2009). Ostracism: A temporal need-threat model. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology, 41, 275–314.Google Scholar
Williams, K. D., & Sommer, K. L. (1997). Social ostracism by coworkers: Does rejection lead to loafing or compensation? Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 23, 693–706.Google Scholar
Withey, M. J., & Cooper, W. H. (1989). Predicting exit, voice, loyalty, and neglect. Administrative Science Quarterly, 34(4), 521–539.Google Scholar
Yam, K. C., Klotz, A. C., He, W., & Reynolds, S. J. (2017). From good soldiers to psychological entitled: Examining when and why citizenship behavior leads to deviance. Academy of Management Journal, 60(1), 373–396.Google Scholar