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Coping with Workplace Ostracism: The Roles of Ingratiation and Political Skill in Employee Psychological Distress

  1. Long-Zeng Wu1,
  2. Frederick Hong-kit Yim2,
  3. Ho Kwong Kwan3,*,
  4. Xiaomeng Zhang4

Article first published online: 8 JUN 2011

DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2011.01017.x

Issue

Journal of Management Studies

Journal of Management Studies

Volume 49, Issue 1, pages 178–199, January 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Wu, L.-Z., Yim, F. H.-k., Kwan, H. K. and Zhang, X. (2012), Coping with Workplace Ostracism: The Roles of Ingratiation and Political Skill in Employee Psychological Distress. Journal of Management Studies, 49: 178–199. doi: 10.1111/j.1467-6486.2011.01017.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Shanghai University of Finance and Economics and University of International Business and Economics, Beijing;

  2. 2

    Hong Kong Baptist University;

  3. 3

    Drexel University, Philadelphia;

  4. 4

    American University, Washington DC

*Ho Kwong Kwan, Department of Management, Academic Building, Drexel University, 101 North 33rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA (hk88@drexel.edu).

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 16 DEC 2011
  2. Article first published online: 8 JUN 2011
  3. Accepted manuscript online: 24 MAR 2011 03:37AM EST

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Keywords:

  • ingratiation;
  • political skill;
  • psychological distress;
  • workplace ostracism

abstract

The study reported here examined the relationship between workplace ostracism and employee psychological distress (i.e. job tension, emotional exhaustion, and depressed mood at work) by focusing on the joint moderating effects of ingratiation and political skill. Data from a two-wave survey of 215 employees in two oil and gas firms in China indicated that as predicted, workplace ostracism was positively related to psychological distress. Moreover, the findings showed that when employee political skill was high, ingratiation neutralized the relationship between workplace ostracism and psychological distress, but when it was low, ingratiation exacerbated the relationship.

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