Threat Upon Entry: Effect of Coworker Ostracism on Newcomers’ Proactive Behaviors During Organizational Socialization

Abstract

Extant literature has underlined the importance of newcomer proactive socialization to the organization. However, the effect of coworker ostracism on newcomers’ proactive behaviors has not been noticed. Drawing on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, we proposed a model exploring how coworker ostracism impacted newcomers’ proactive behaviors via the mediation of psychological availability. Through an empirical study with a sample of 263 newcomers and three waves of longitudinal data, we found that coworker ostracism had a negative effect on newcomers’ information seeking and guanxi developing. In addition, emotional intelligence enhanced the negative effect of coworker ostracism on newcomers’ psychological availability and the indirect influence of coworker ostracism on newcomers’ proactive behaviors via psychological availability. Important theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

The impact of organizational ostracism on knowledge hiding: analysing the sequential mediating role of efficacy needs and psychological distress

“…This means that individuals may react strongly to the stressful situation, where they face an actual loss in the resources (Nusrat et al , 2021). These resources can either be “objective resources, conditions, personal characteristics, or energy sources that are beneficial to achieve individual’s tasks or goals” (p. 2, Liu et al , 2021). Previously, researchers have used the theoretical lens of COR for explaining the negative behaviour of employees because of work and non-work-related environmental factors resulting in resource loss and triggering of emotional exhaustion and stress in employees (Kaur et al , 2021a).…”

More efforts after feeling rejected: the effects of poor voice quality on employee's motivation to make high-quality voice

“…Managerial beliefs and behaviors have critical effects on employee voice (Morrison and Milliken, 2000; Burris, 2012), and negative responses enable employees to recognize and appraise that their performance has deviated from organizational expectations (Lu et al ., 2021). Hence, we expected managerial non-endorsement to evoke employee's self-perception of poor voice quality.…”

“…Under the influence of collectivist culture, employees tend to regard themselves as interdependent with their environment (Tsui and Farh, 1997), which makes them carefully address their relationships with colleagues. Chinese employees are more vulnerable to rejection or ostracism, and tend to regulate their behaviors by self-questioning (Liu et al, 2021). However, it is important to note that perceptual response patterns to workplace events are not restricted to a particular cultural context (Levine et al, 2011).…”

I will speak up if I feel energetic: Effects of supervisor humor on employee voice

“…Supervisor aggressive humor may make employees caught in intimidation and embarrassment, gradually developing a stressor for employees ( Kim et al, 2016 ). In this instance, employees have to consume limited resources to deal with stress, which in turn increases depletion ( Liu et al, 2021 ). Second, supervisor aggressive humor coincides with negative emotions ( Huo et al, 2012 ; Goswami et al, 2015 ), which are more depleting relative to positive emotions.…”