Workplace ostracism and employee wellbeing: A conservation of resource perspective

Abstract

Introduction: As a common phenomenon of workplace ostracism in corporate management, it is urgent to clarify how it affects employee well-being.

Methods: Based on Conservation of Resource Theory, this study investigates the mechanisms of workplace ostracism on employee well-being and examines the mediating role of emotional exhaustion and the moderating role of team forgiveness climate by surveying 282 employees from 68 companies in mainland China.

Results: The results show that (1) workplace ostracism negatively affects employee well-being; (2) emotional exhaustion plays a mediating role between workplace ostracism and employee well-being; (3) team forgiveness climate weakens the negative effect of workplace ostracism on emotional exhaustion and negatively moderates the indirect effect of workplace ostracism on employee well-being through emotional exhaustion.

Discussion: It tries to provide theoretical basis and practical guidance for eliminating the negative effects of workplace ostracism and focusing on employee well-being.

Keywords: conservation of resource theory (COR); emotional exhaustion; employee wellbeing; forgiveness climate; workplace ostracism.