IF I DON’T EXIST: AN EMPIRICAL INVESTIGATION OF WORKPLACE OSTRACISM AND PSYCHOLOGICAL DISTRES

Abstract

In this study we examined the mediating role of interpersonal deviance and moderating effects of ingratiation between workplace ostracism and psychological distress, based on transactional theory of stress and coping. Cross sectional survey design was used and data was collected from 202 academicians from all universities of Quetta. Workplace ostracism threatens employee’s interpersonal needs and self-efficacy. Employees try to cope with this approach and avoid indulging in psychological distress, through influence behavior ingratiation. This relationship was investigated by applying Hays PROCESS and used SPSS to analyze direct and indirect effects of moderated mediation model. Our results shows that workplace ostracism interpersonal deviance and ingratiation contributes to the prevalence of psychological distress and offer direct and collateral appliance. One path involves actions that dispirit ostracism by influential behavior, another step measures related to interpersonal deviance anticipated by mentoring and employee’s support plans. The current research clarifies the underlying influential, intellectual and emotive mechanism between workplace ostracism and psychological distress. It extends research on interpersonal deviance and ingratiation to explain its theoretic as well as experiential effects on psychological distress. It additionally demonstrates how employees adopt ingratiation to turn down negative outcomes of workplace ostracism. Lastly, it explains the whole mechanism in context of collectivistic philosophy of Pakistan.