The relationship between subjective well-being and workplace ostracism: The moderating role of emotional intelligence
Journal of Organizational Change Management
ISSN: 0953-4814
Article publication date: 2 October 2017
Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the effect of subjective well-being (SWB) on workplace ostracism, by focusing on the moderating role of emotional intelligence (EI). SWB is taken here as a construct of three components: life satisfaction, positive affect (PA), and negative affect (NA).
Design/methodology/approach
The theoretical model was tested using data collected from employees in different firms from different provinces in China. Analyses of multisource and lagged data from 677 employees indicate that as predicted, EI moderates the relationship between SWB (life satisfaction, PA, and NA) and workplace ostracism.
Findings
The findings show that when employees demonstrate high levels of EI, the negative relationships between life satisfaction, PA and workplace ostracism were strengthened, and the positive relationship between NA and workplace ostracism was weakened.
Originality/value
First, the results empirically demonstrate that EI is one moderator of the relationship between SWB and workplace ostracism. Second, the study contributes to the field of workplace ostracism by indicating some critical antecedents. Third, the present study examines the moderating role of EI in the relationship between SWB and workplace ostracism among Chinese employees.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors thank Dr Byron G. Curtis (Geneva College, USA) for his carefully reading, helpful comments and writing tips. The efforts of him in spelling and writing are outstanding service to this paper. The authors also thank two anonymous reviewers for their contributed helpful suggestions on earlier drafts of this manuscript. Without them, the present study would not have been possible.
Citation
Zhang, S. and Shi, Q. (2017), "The relationship between subjective well-being and workplace ostracism: The moderating role of emotional intelligence", Journal of Organizational Change Management, Vol. 30 No. 6, pp. 978-988. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-07-2016-0139
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2017, Emerald Publishing Limited