Publication Type
Journal Article
Version
submittedVersion
Publication Date
5-2019
Abstract
Workplace mistreatment is typically conceptualized as being exposed to a negative stimulus – for example, a threat, verbal abuse, or other forms of harassment. Consequently, we expect workplace mistreatment will have the greatest effect on individuals who are sensitive to the presence and absence of negative stimuli – or those with a strong avoidance temperament. Although this may be the rule for most mistreatment constructs, we argue that ostracism may be the exception. Using an approach/avoidance framework to highlight unique elements of ostracism, we build on the definition of ostracism as being the absence of an expected positive stimulus (i.e., social interaction that is withheld)to argue ostracism should have the greatest impact on those who are sensitive to the presence and absence of positive stimuli – or those with a strong approach temperament. Across a scenario study, a study of student teams, and a field study, we found that a strong approach temperament exacerbated the effects of ostracism on citizenship behaviors, while a strong avoidance temperament did not. Implications for the ostracism and mistreatment literatures are discussed.
Keywords
Approach, Avoidance, Organizational citizenship behaviors, Ostracism
Discipline
Human Resources Management | Organizational Behavior and Theory | Organization Development
Research Areas
Organisational Behaviour and Human Resources
Publication
Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes
Volume
152
First Page
138
Last Page
149
ISSN
0749-5978
Identifier
10.1016/j.jeconom.2019.04.034
Publisher
Elsevier
Citation
LANCE, Ferris D.; FATIMAH, Shereen; YAN, Ming; LIANG, Lindie H.; LIAN, Huiwen; and BROWN, Douglas J..
Being sensitive to positives has its negatives: An approach/avoidance perspective on reactivity to ostracism. (2019). Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes. 152, 138-149.
Available at: https://ink.library.smu.edu.sg/lkcsb_research/6239
Copyright Owner and License
Authors
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Additional URL
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.obhdp.2019.05.001
Included in
Human Resources Management Commons, Organizational Behavior and Theory Commons, Organization Development Commons