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Workplace ostracism and discretionary work effort: A conditional process analysis

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  25 March 2019

Muhammad Adeel Anjum*
Affiliation:
School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
Dapeng Liang
Affiliation:
School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
Dilawar Khan Durrani
Affiliation:
School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
Ammarah Ahmed
Affiliation:
School of Management, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, China
*
*Corresponding author. Email: [email protected]

Abstract

Drawing on affective events theory (AET) and workplace incivility spiral, this study tested a conditional process model to explain, when and how, affective workplace events (workplace ostracism and workplace incivility) affect employees’ emotions and work effort. Data for this cross-sectional study were collected via an online survey from 251 employees at three public sector universities in Quetta, Pakistan. Results indicated that both ostracism and incivility encumber work effort, and that one way via which ostracism negatively affects work effort is by provoking targets’ negative affect (NA). Results also revealed that workplace incivility exacerbated positive relationship of ostracism and NA such that this relationship was stronger when incivility was high and weaker when incivility was low. Moreover, the indirect effects of ostracism on work effort were also contingent on workplace incivility. Practical implications are discussed at the end.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press and Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management 2019

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