Exploring the impact of workplace ostracism on cyberloafing, emotional exhaustion, and workplace boreout: an empirical analysis

Abstract

Workplace ostracism is a significant organizational issue that can affect employees' psychological well-being and work behaviors. Employees may respond to workplace ostracism through various behavioral and psychological reactions. However, the ways in which workplace ostracism influences cyberloafing, emotional exhaustion, and workplace boredom have not yet been sufficiently clarified. Accordingly, this study aims to examine the impact of workplace ostracism on cyberloafing, emotional exhaustion, and workplace boreout. The potential effects of workplace ostracism within the current study are examined from a broad theoretical perspective including self-determination, social identity, social exchange, and coping theories. For this purpose, a quantitative research was benefited, and required data were collected through questionnaires. The sample of research comprised 411 employees from different sectors. The findings show that workplace ostracism has no any significant effect on cyberloafing and its sub-dimensions. But it significantly predicts emotional exhaustion and workplace boreout. Workplace boreout was found to be positively correlated with emotional exhaustion, while both emotional exhaustion and workplace boreout were negatively related to cyberloafing. The findings suggest that cyberloafing should not be considered a direct consequence of workplace ostracism. Based on the findings, it can be argued that controlled levels of cyberloafing behavior may have the potential to reduce workplace boreout and emotional exhaustion. The study also reveals that the psychology of workplace ostracism varies across contexts. That is cyberloafing should not be considered a negative behavior in itself. The study contributes to the literature by focusing the relationships between workplace ostracism, cyberloafing, emotional exhaustion, and workplace boreout within a holistic framework. The findings show that creating supportive work environments in organizations is beneficial for employees' psychological well-being.