Feeling ostracized? Exploring the hidden triggers, impact on silence behavior and the pivotal role of ethical leadership

Purpose The literature on workplace ostracism lacks the integration of the antecedents and consequences of ostracism in a single study, hindering a holistic picture of how perceived workplace ostracism (PWO) emerges and subsequently hampering theoretical development and practical intervention. Based on this critical gap, we examine the effect of person-organization unfit and interpersonal distrust as potential antecedents of PWO, which we propose to affect employee silence. Furthermore, we highlight PWO as a mediator linking interpersonal distrust and person-organization unfit to employee silence. In addition, we further investigate the boundary condition of ethical leadership to address when the effect of PWO on employee silence can be potentially mitigated. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from 242 service industry employees in the United Arab Emirates, and analyzed using PLS-SEM. Findings Both person-organization unfit and interpersonal distrust lead to PWO, increasing employee silence. Feeling ostracized serves as a mediator, linking interpersonal distrust and person-organization unfit to employee silence. Ethical leadership moderates this, reducing the ostracism’s impact on silence, showcasing its value in mitigating harmful workplace dynamics. Practical implications The study is useful for organizations and managers as it illustrates the causes and consequence of PWO and provides practical solutions. Originality/value This study is one of the scarce endeavors to holistically investigate workplace ostracism by testing its antecedents and consequence in a single model. Furthermore, it explores person-organization unfit as a novel antecedent of PWO.