Workplace Ostracism as a Trigger for Counterproductive Behaviors: Examining the Mediating Role of Depressed Mood in Academic Institutions

Abstract

This research aims to understand the linkage between workplace ostracism and counterproductive work behavior (CWB), with a special emphasis on the mediating role of depressed mood. The social isolation of employees leads to a high level of stress and anxiety and decreases employees’ job satisfaction due to feelings of worthlessness. The study employs quantitative research techniques and focuses on managerial employees in two leading public universities in Punjab, Pakistan. Stratified random sampling was used to select a representative sample of the population. The results show that workplace ostracism has a positive correlation with CWB, indicating that employees who experience being ignored are more likely to exhibit negative behaviors. Furthermore, the study reveals that depressed mood partially mediates this relationship, implying that negative affectivity enhances the effects of ostracism on counterproductive work behaviors. These findings have implications for university management, suggesting that interventions to prevent workplace ostracism and promote positive mental health could lead to increased productivity. The novelty of the study lies in its exploration of the relationship between stress, self-esteem, and depressed mood as a mediating factor, which has not been fully explored in previous research.