Workplace Ostracism and Employee Reactions among University Teachers in Pakistan

Authors

Tehreem Fatima, Superior University Lahore PakistanFollow
Ahmad Raza Bilal, Sohar University OmanFollow
Muhammad Kashif Imran, The Islamia University of Bahawalpur, PakistanFollow

Abstract

This study investigated the positive and negative behavioral outcomes resulting from the pragmatic and psychological impacts of workplace ostracism experienced by university teachers in Pakistan. Using a qualitative and phenomenological approach, the data were gathered from 20 ostracized teachers working in public and private sector higher educational institutions in Pakistan. The results revealed that participants faced both the psychological and pragmatic impacts of workplace ostracism. Most of the ostracized teachers indicated positive behavioral outcomes due to being collectivist and placing a high value on social relations. Ostracized teachers used resource investment strategies by improving in-role and extra-role performance that reflect their re-inclusion expectations and less chronic prevalence of workplace ostracism. But participants showed their intention to engage in negative behaviors such as withdrawal, decreased performance, and resignation if they constantly face ostracism in future. The results of this study can be used by the university administration to develop an inclusive and non-discriminatory culture and policies to minimize the occurrence of workplace ostracism.

Keywords

Higher Educational Institutions, Workplace Ostracism, Psychological Impacts, Pragmatic Impacts, Positive Behavioral Outcomes, Negative Behavioral Outcomes, Teachers, Phenomenology

Author Bio(s)

Tehreem Fatima is Ph.D. scholar at Superior University Lahore (Pakistan). She has more than three years’ experience in teaching at different private and public sector universities. She has research interests in the areas of qualitative exploration of enterprise issues, organizational behavior, knowledge management, leadership, entrepreneurship, and training interventions for the development of individual entrepreneurial orientation. She has publications in various social science journals: Abasyn Journal of Social Sciences (AJSS), Academy of Management (AoM) Proceedings, Management Decision (MD), Journal of Organizational Change Management (JOCM), Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies (EEMCS), International Journal of Public Leadership (IJPL), and Pakistan Business Review (PBR). Correspondence regarding this article can be addressed directly to: tehreemfatima107@gmail.com.

Dr. Ahmad Raza Bilal is Ph.D. (Management) from UTM, Malaysia. He is currently an Associate Professor and Head of Postgraduate Studies (Faculty of Business) at Sohar University Oman. He has vast experience of research in the areas of strategic management, entrepreneurial training program, enterprise growth modeling, corporate governance, corporate finance, and strategy & policy. Dr. Bilal is author of various research articles in renowned social science journals, such as Chinese Management Studies (CMS), Career Development International (CDI), Journal of Organizational Change Management (JOCM), Journal of Enterprise Information Management (JEIM), Academy of Management (AOM), Journal of Risk Finance (JRF), Studies in Economics and Finance (SEF), Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies (EEMCS), and International Journal of Public Leadership (IJPL), Dr. Bilal's research interests include development and evaluation of entrepreneurial training program, enterprise survival policies for avoiding failure, innovation, and strategic modeling for long-term entrepreneurial growth. Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: abilal@su.edu.om.

Muhammad Kashif Imranis a Ph.D. scholar in Business Administration at The Islamia University, Bahawalpur. Kashif is author of various research articles in well-reputed journals such as, Journal of Organizational Change Management (JOCM), Journal of Enterprise Information Management (JEIM), Management Decision (MD), Emerald Emerging Markets Case Studies (EEMCS International Journal of Public Leadership (IJPL),Pakistan Business Review (PBR), and Abasyn Journal of Social Sciences (AJSS). Correspondence regarding this article can also be addressed directly to: kkaasshhii@gmail.com.

Publication Date

11-9-2019

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 4.0 International License.

Recommended APA Citation

Fatima, T., Bilal, A., & Imran, M. K. (2019). Workplace Ostracism and Employee Reactions among University Teachers in Pakistan. The Qualitative Report, 24(11), 2759-2777. DOI: https://doi.org/10.46743/2160-3715/2019.4002