Ostracism, Self-Esteem, and Job Performance: When Do We Self-Verify and When Do We Self-Enhance?

Abstract

Self-esteem level has been positioned as a key mediating mechanism accounting for the effects of ostracism on behaviors, invoking the notion that individuals seek to verify their self-perceptions by behaving consistent with those self-perceptions. However, evidence supporting the relation of ostracism and self-esteem level to behavioral outcomes has been mixed. We argue that such mixed effects arise because individuals may alternately seek to verify their self-perceptions via behavioral outcomes (suggesting a relation between self-esteem level and behavioral outcomes), or selfenhance via behavioral outcomes regardless of self-esteem level (suggesting no relation between self-esteem level and behavioral outcomes); the larger question is when we self-verify and when we selfenhance. To that end, we position contingent self-esteem -or the extent to which an individual bases their self-worth on outcomes in a particular domain -as a determining factor in whether we self-verify or self-enhance and present a moderated mediation model to account for varying relations between ostracism and job performance. Our predictions regarding selfverification and self-enhancement motivation are fully supported across an experimental pilot study and two field samples using multi-wave, multisource study designs. Theoretical and practical implications for selfverification and self-enhancement motivation, as well as negative interpersonal behaviors at work, are discussed.We thank the participants of Singapore Management University's Research Seminar Series for their helpful comments on an earlier version of this paper, and Luke Brun-Ping and Shereen Fatimah for their assistance with data collection. ABSTRACTSelf-esteem level has been positioned as a key mediating mechanism accounting for the effects of ostracism on behaviors, invoking the notion that individuals seek to verify their selfperceptions by behaving consistent with those self-perceptions. However, evidence supporting the relation of ostracism and self-esteem level to behavioral outcomes has been mixed. We argue that such mixed effects arise because individuals may engage in behaviors alternately to verify their self-perceptions (suggesting a relation between self-esteem level and behavioral outcomes) or to self-enhance (suggesting no relation between self-esteem level and behavioral outcomes).Within this framing, the question becomes when we self-verify and when we self-enhance. To that end, we position contingent self-esteem -or the extent to which individuals base their selfworth on outcomes in a particular domain -as a determining factor in whether we self-verify or self-enhance and present a moderated mediation model to account for varying relations between ostracism and job performance. Our predictions regarding self-verification and self-enhancement motivation are fully supported across two field samples using multi-wave, multi-source study designs. Theoretical and practical implications for self-verification and self-enhancement motivation, as well as negative interpers...

The influence of self-esteem and role stress on job performance in hotel businesses

“…Self-esteem levels affect employees' work skills, ability to cope with stress, ability to form relationships on the job, and level of dynamism. Several research studies, including Chang et al (2012), Ferris et al (2010), Ferris et al (2014), Judge and Bono (2001), and Sommer and Baumeister (2002), point out that increasing self-esteem improves job performance and organizational performance. Therefore, the following hypothesis was proposed: H4: Self-esteem has a significant positive effect on hotel employees' job performance.…”

You don’t actually want to get closer to the star: How LMX leads to workplace ostracism

“…In fact, as a universal phenomenon that exists in all types of organizations (e.g., Ferris et al, 2008), workplace ostracism has received burgeoning scholarly attention for the past decade. As a kind of negative interpersonal experience, it can bring emotional exhaustion and depression, weaken self-regulatory resources (Ferris et al, 2015;Wu et al, 2012), reduce job satisfaction, job performance and organizational citizenship behaviors, and raise deviant behaviors and turnover intention (Ferris et al, 2008;Ferris et al, 2015). Previous studies suggest that the causes of workplace exclusion can be divided into two categories: punitive tendency and protective tendency (Robinson et al, 2013).…”

Why and when workplace ostracism inhibits organizational citizenship behaviors: An organizational identification perspective.

“…Workplace ostracism as a type of interpersonal mistreatment has been found to bring negative consequences on employees' attitudes toward work, such as lower job satisfaction, higher turnover intention (e.g., Ferris et al, 2008), and reduced personal well-being, such as emotional exhaustion and psychological distress (Ferris et al, 2008;Wu, Yim, Kwan, & Zhang, 2012). Because of the negative attitudinal impact, workplace ostracism can be detrimental to organizational effectiveness, as ostracized employees may reduce their engagement in citizenship behavior that can benefit others individually or the organization collectively (e.g., Ferris, Lian, Brown, & Morrison, 2015). Nevertheless, experimental studies suggest that workplace ostracism can increase employees' prosocial behavior to benefit others and the work group, for the sake of being accepted (e.g., Derfler-Rozin, Pillutla, & Thau, 2010;Williams & Sommer, 1997).…”

“…Drawing from the self-esteem threat perspective, Ferris et al (2015) theorized and found that when ostracized, employees showed lower self-esteem and engaged less in citizenship behavior in order to be consistent with their deficient self-views. Following a resources depletion perspective, Leung, Wu, Chen, and Young (2011) reported that being ostracized depletes employees' regulatory resources and leads to a lower level of engagement at work, and thus less citizenship behavior.…”