Does conformity lead to gains? The effect of workplace ostracism on performance evaluation from a self-presentational view

Abstract

There are some inconsistent conclusions about the effect of workplace ostracism on employee performance, which indicates that there are potential mechanisms in this field to be explored. Therefore, based on the self-presentation theory, this research built and tested a conditional indirect effect model to explore how and when individuals who suffered from workplace ostracism might obtain higher performance evaluation. Based on an experimental study and a field sample of supervisor-employee dyads, the results supported our theoretical hypotheses that workplace ostracism was positively related to facades of conformity. Besides, the relationship between workplace ostracism and facades of conformity was stronger when employees were high in collectivism values. However, when supervisors themselves also hold high collectivism values, employees’ facades of conformity are positively related to supervisors’ evaluations of job performance. Moreover, workplace ostracism has a conditional, positive indirect effect on supervisor’s evaluations of employee performance via employee facades of conformity, such that the indirect effect is positive when both employee and supervisors’ collectivism values are high.