Review of Economics and Development Studies, Vol. 6 (3) 2020, 651-659 651 The Impact of Workplace Ostracism on Job Performance with the Mediating Role of Emotional Exhaustion: Evidence from Public Sector Universities of Pakistan Nada Saleem Mirza a , Aftab Haider b , Tanveer Taj c , Hazrat Bilal d a Mphil Scholar, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan Email: nadabarlas23@gmail.com b Assistant Professor, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan Email: aftabhaider@bahria.edu.pk c Assistant Professor, Bahria University, Islamabad, Pakistan Email: tanveertaj@bahria.edu.pk d Assistant Professor, Center for Management and Commerce, University of Swat, Pakistan Email: hbilal@uswat.edu.pk ARTICLE DETAILS ABSTRACT History: Accepted 18 August 2020 Available Online 30 September 2020 This study was conducted with an intention to investigate the influence of workplace ostracism on job performance with mediating effect of emotional exhaustion in higher educational institutions. Data was collected using a quantitative technique through questionnaire form a sample of 317 workers serving at state universities located in twin cities of Islamabad/ Rawalpindi. Simple random sampling technique was adopted. Data was analyzed through SPSS and AMOS software. Results of the study shown that workplace ostracism is significantly associated with job performance. The present study also revealed the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion in the relationship between workplace ostracism and job performance. © 2020 The authors. Published by SPCRD Global Publishing. This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution- NonCommercial 4.0 Keywords: Workplace Ostracism, Emotional Exhaustion, Job Performance JEL Classification: J62, J69 DOI: 10.47067/reads.v6i3.253 Corresponding author’s email address: hbilal@uswat.edu.pk 1. Introduction Because of the exceptional amount of time organizational individuals give with each other, the social setting has become a huge organizational perspective that can hugely impact job performance. Positive social relations with organization individuals have been begun to forcefully impact job performance, organizational commitment, and job satisfaction (Chung, 2018). However, the workplace has become a social setting where ostracism exists (De Clercq et al., 2019), thusly unfavorably impacting social associations among organizational individuals. Workplace ostracism is "where a person or groups prohibits to yield exercises that interface with other organizational members when it’s socially fitting to do so" (Chung, 2018). Studies have dependably found workplace ostracism to achieve unfavorable organizational outcomes, for instance, diminished degrees of job satisfaction, association duty, work execution, and organizational citizenship behavior (Chung, 2018) and extended degrees of Review of Economics and Development Studies, Vol. 6 (3) 2020, 651-659 652 hostility, counterproductive direct, badgering, and struggle (Chung, 2018). Various investigations underline the standing of optimistic work includes that indicator structural help to drive work results (De Clercq et al., 2019), anyway a persuading essential additionally occurs to recognize the "clouded side" of the structural lifecycle, counting members' introduction to the mischief exercises which make weight besides destitution by way to endeavor they grasp their everyday work responsibilities (De Clercq et al., 2019). Occurrences of such misconduct incorporate broken organizational politics, social conflicts, and mental agreement (De Clercq et al., 2019) factors that talk by and large to workers' mistakes done in what way they are preserved through their members or else their boss. Alternative exceptional wellspring of the administrative mischief stays societal avoidance otherwise the absenteeism of sufficient companion consideration, otherwise called working workplace ostracism (Hsieh & Karatepe, 2019). Anyway, paying little heed that workplace ostracism is harmful to employees it is the universal intellect, previous exploration suggestions simply uncertain assistance meant for the aforementioned harmful ramifications for companies' capability toward encounter their normal job performance. Equivocalness force is situated as a direct result of workers changed replies in the direction of being detested, bestowing on the way to their features ((De Clercq et al., 2019), for instance, how much their confidence is reliant upon their job performance (Chung, 2018). Problem Statement Higher education sector plays a vital role in building the society within the country. Higher education institution's execution relies upon the academic staff and the managerial staff of the universities (Noordin & Jusoff, 2009), Recently, ostracism has been analyzed in the academic community when Zimmerman, Carter-Sowell & Xu (2016) saw female staff as more ostracized in university settings regarding social alienation. Additionally, there is a considerable gap in the literature to inspect those factors that decide different worker responses to segregation that is, in which cases employees carry on prosocial, hostile to social or pull back? The circumstance subordinate nature of working environment ostracism (Williams, 2009) makes inside and out quantitative examination worth endeavor to increase complete comprehension of this marvel (Liu and Xia, 2016; Waldeck, Tyndall & Chmiel, 2015) in explicit settings of HEIs (Zimmerman et al., 2016) explicitly in Pakistan (Fatima et al., 2017). Emotional exhaustion happens on account of overwork mandate at exertion which is similarly an influence of workplace ostracism furthermore, low social help additionally predicts emotional exhaustion (Jackson, 2014). Expanding this origination this study intended to investigate the issue of workplace ostracism in HEIs of Pakistan through quantitative experiences by researching the results of workplace ostracism and its influence on job performance of the managerial workforces. This investigation additionally deciding the effective role of emotional exhaustion which declines the job result in light of the depleted administrative staff in the higher education sector of Pakistan. (Taimur & Khan, 2017) workers who are confronting strain at work environment are unequivocally associated with undesirable negative outcomes alike lifetime misfortune (Jahanzeb & Fatima, 2018). Research objectives: -  To investigate the influence of workplace ostracism on job performance within the state universities of Islamabad/Rawalpindi.  To investigate the influence of workplace ostracism on emotional exhaustion within the state universities of Islamabad/Rawalpindi.  To determine whether emotional exhaustion mediates the connection of workplace ostracism on job performance. Review of Economics and Development Studies, Vol. 6 (3) 2020, 651-659 653 Research question: -  What is the relationship between workplace ostracism and job performance in state universities of Islamabad/ Rawalpindi?  What is the connection between workplace ostracism and emotional exhaustion in state universities of Islamabad/Rawalpindi?  What is the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion in the connection between workplace ostracism and job performance? 2. Literature review 2.1 Workplace ostracism Working exclusion is a mutual marvel that various employee’s knowledge with the workplace (O'Reilly et al., 2015). Nearby stand numerous problems these days in every organization rounded the world that essentially is inclined to and also grips that issue to duck such undesirable conditions to impact when all is supposed in a done association. Workplace bullying (Bedi, 2019), workplace incivility (Cortina, Magley, Williams & Langhout, 2001), workplace mobbing (Zhang et al., 2017), and working place ostracism (Ferris, Brown, Berry & Lian, 2008B) are some of them. Tracy also partners in 2006 described workplace bulling as it is the idea of such does that can be forceful communication besides performs frequently (Taimur & Khan, 2017). In the late decade, ostracism caught the huge eye as per diverse examination researchers, and it has in like means a harmful impact on organizational performance and employees. In 500 B.C the word ostracism was utilized by Athenians toward ostracize somebody for a long time. Regardless, after it arises on the way to the administrative point of view, it became extra thought once the idea of workplace ostracism besides developed instrument for it, it is formally presented by Ferris, Berry, Brown, and Lian (2008A). Organizational ostracism is the deliberate, according to Anderson (2009), administrative refusal of a person, that person in the previous was the quantity of that association's enrollment. In case someone is set into an express state of affairs trendy which that person is being left without a group of friends is societal escaping (O'Reilly et al., 2015). The rejection or reprimanding of a person by additional being or social event that vulnerable person's ability to preserve active or develop incredible association by others, great notoriety on exertion ground (Bedi, 2019). An individual is kept away from or neglected by different representatives in the work environment (Taimur & Khan, 2017). O'Reilly and Robinson (2009) referenced examination of workplace ostracism is extremely incredible marvels to reduce responsibility toward the workplace. 2.2 Job Performance Performance is the most important element of organizations and its workers (Keijzers, 2010). Performance of an organization is reliant upon the performance of employees (job performance) and various elements, for instance, the environment of the association. Highly performed employees are more creative and they show more commitment in achieving the goals of organization (Keijzers, 2010). Job performance and productivity advancement are additionally critical in offsetting our economy; by methods for improved norms, higher wages, an expansion in merchandise open for use. 2.3 Emotional Exhaustion (EE) EE is alluded to as emotion of genuinely over-strained and exhausted to achieve task & the individual will all in all show physical tiredness alongside sincerely depleted emotions (Cole and Bedeian, 2007). Burnout or exhaustion is actuated by relevant factors or individual factors (Wright & Cropanzano, 1998). Emotional exhaustion for the most part happens due to over employment requests in organizations which is in like manner a factor of bullying at work; besides, low social help furthermore predicts emotional exhaustion (Jackson, 2014). The nearness of bulling and watching Review of Economics and Development Studies, Vol. 6 (3) 2020, 651-659 654 bullying behaviors is identified with psychological responses which are additionally identified with pressure and result in a decrease in emotional stability (Siddique, 2018). EE is likewise known as a delayed state of physical and psychological (Cropanzano et al., 2003). The concept of EE is characterized as Feelings of being genuinely overstretched and depleted by individual tasks (Jahanzeb & Fatima, 2018). It shows when employees accept that they need reasonable emotional stores to oversee unremitting stressors (Hsieh & Karatepe, 2019) Emotionally exhausted workers have decreased intellectual, mental, and emotional resources, which makes it difficult for them to oversee relationally and work requests. Emotional exhaustion was viewed as the most noteworthy indicator of job performance in the wake of controlling for positive and negative affectivity (Singh et al.’ 1994). Wright and Bonett (1997) found that emotional exhaustion has a positive effect on work performance. The present study has been built up on COR theory. 3. Theoretical Frame Work H2 H3 H1. Workplace ostracism is negative associated with job performance. H2. Workplace ostracism is positively associated with emotional exhaustion. H3. EE mediates the connection of workplace ostracism & job performance. 4. Research Methodology The philosophical establishment of the current study is positivism and the methodology that this examination has embraced is that of deductive thinking. The nature of study is causal and based on cross-sectional time horizon. 4.1 Population of study: - The present study has taken managerial staff as population who is employed in higher educational institutions of twin cities i.e., Islamabad and Rawalpindi. The current paper targeted three renowned universities of twin cities as a population which is Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad, NUST Islamabad, COMSATS University Islamabad. The reason for choosing these three institutions was that they have been providing quality education for the previous several years in different disciplines and teaching values in the young group of Pakistan. Workplace Ostracism Job Performance H1 Emotional exhaustion Review of Economics and Development Studies, Vol. 6 (3) 2020, 651-659 655 Table 4.1 4.2 Sample 317 managerial staff working at three universities was taken as sample size. The sample size was calculated through Morgan table. This study utilized simple random sampling technique. Similarly, managerial staff has been taken as unit of analysis. 5. Data Analysis & Results 5.1 Instruments The present study utilized adopted questionnaires from various sources. In order to measure workplace ostracism, the researcher used ten items, tested and proposed by Ferris et al., (2008). The items were measured by five-point Likert scale ranging from 1“strongly disagree” to 5 “strongly agree. On the other hand, Job performance items adopted from scale of (Williams and Anderson, 1991). Emotional exhaustion survey composed of eight items, a sample item for EE used in research is as (I feel emotionally drained from my work). Table 5.1 Correlations TWO TEE TJP TWO Pearson Correlation 1 .000 -.264 ** Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 N 317 317 317 TEE Pearson Correlation .000 1 -.442 ** Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 N 317 317 317 TJP Pearson Correlation -.264 ** -.442 ** 1 Sig. (2-tailed) .000 .000 N 317 317 317 **. Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed). Correlation communicates the association among variables, it likewise analyzes that the two variables move the inverse or same way. S.No Public Universities Academic Staff Managerial Staff Total Population 1. Quaid-e-Azam University Islamabad 6306 118 - 2. National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST) Islamabad 1465 1006 - 3. COMSATS University Islamabad 2026 678 - =1802 Review of Economics and Development Studies, Vol. 6 (3) 2020, 651-659 656 Table 5.2 Coefficients Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients t Sig. B Std. Error Beta 1 (Constant) 2.958 .127 23.202 .000 TWO -.174 .036 -.264 -4.858 .000 a. Dependent Variable: JP Here the above table indicates the connection workplace ostracism with JP as negative and significant at 0.000. Table 5.3 Coefficients Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients t Sig. B Std. Error Beta 1 (Constant) 3.447 .119 28.882 .000 TWO .056 .034 .094 1.679 .000 a. Dependent Variable: EE Here the above table indicates the influence workplace ostracism on emotional exhaustion which is positive and significant at 0.000. Table 5.4 Coefficients Model Unstandardized Coefficients Standardized Coefficients t Sig. B Std. Error Beta 1 (Constant) 4.124 .204 20.223 .000 TEE -.488 .056 -.442 -8.752 .000 a. Dependent Variable: TJP Here the above table reveals that in emotional exhaustion, when there is a beta value of -.442. As the beta coefficient sign is negative it implies that when there is a decrease in one unit of emotional exhaustion, there will be one unit decrease in the beta coefficient of JP. Similarly, the influence of emotional exhaustion on JP came negative & significant at 0.000. For more explanation concerning the test whether the mediation that occurred was partial mediation or full mediation, the researcher used the Preacher and Hayes mediation test for mediation since numerous researchers had referenced (Preacher & Hayes, 2008). Model Table 5.5 Coeff Se t p LLCI ULCI constant 4.5589 .2197 20.7542 .0000 .1270 . 2911 TWO -.1478 .0324 -4.5563 .0000 -.2116 -.1840 TEE -.4644 .0543 -8.5529 .0000 . 2712 .3576 Review of Economics and Development Studies, Vol. 6 (3) 2020, 651-659 657 Table 5.6: The direct effect of X on Y Effect Se T p LLCI ULCI .1478 .0324 -4.5563 .0000 -.3116 -.2840 Table 5.7 Indirect effect(s) of X on Y Effect BootSE BootLLCI BootULCI TEE .0261 .0177 .3250 .4080 The above tables show the mediating role of emotional exhaustion. With the table for the outcome variable, emotional exhaustion, the “a” path from workplace ostracism to emotional exhaustion was checked. It is significant with following values: LLCI: -0.2097 ULCI: -0.1222 The “b” path from emotional exhaustion to job performance in a table for outcome variable of job performance was checked. It is significant with following values: LLCI: -0.2116 ULCI: -0.1840 The c’ path, the direct path from workplace ostracism to job performance in the table for outcome variable of job performance was checked. It is significant with following values: LLCI: 0.2712 ULCI: 0.3576 Moreover, the direct influence of workplace ostracism (X) on JP (Y) is also given in the table in which the value of LLCI is -0.3116 and the value of ULCI is -0.2840 and the relationship is significant. 6. Discussion and Conclusion In the light results obtained after the analysis, especially from the correlation and regression tests, the current study has proved that workplace ostracism has a negative but substantial connection with job performance. With the value of - 0.264** and is significant at 0.000 which is two-tailed. This outcome has been discovered comparatively in the past study too based on which we built up our first hypothesis in the wake of leading a critical literature review. (De Clercq et al., 2019) workplace ostracism and job performance in their study association at value (r = -.384∗∗ also it was a significant relationship. Furthermore Also, (Liwei Feng et al., 2019) initiate out that workplace ostracism had mainly a negative relationship with job performance which was significant as well. H1. Workplace ostracism is negatively associated to job performance. In the light of the results obtained after the analysis, especially from the correlation and regression tests, it has been proved that ostracism has a positive & significant connection to EE. Results postulated that ostracism significantly effect emotional exhaustion at the value of r = 0.000. (Sadia Jahanzeb, 2017) in her study found out positive association among workplace ostracism & emotional Review of Economics and Development Studies, Vol. 6 (3) 2020, 651-659 658 exhaustion. H2. Workplace ostracism is positively associated to emotional exhaustion. In the light of the results we obtained after the analysis, especially from the correlation and regression tests, it has been proved that EE has a negative & significant connection with job performance. The mediating variable which is emotional exhaustion there exists a negative and significant relationship with job performance with the value of -.442** which is significant at two- tailed. This result has been found similar in the previous studies too based on which we developed our third hypothesis after conducting a critical literature review. (Zinta S. Byrne, 2015) also found a negative and significant connection with job performance at the value of r = 0.03. H3. There is a negative association between Emotional exhaustion & job performance. Here findings for hypothesis 4 revealed partial mediation of emotional exhaustion in the relationship between workplace ostracism and JP and the direct effect is significant. These results can be explained as the influence of emotional exhaustion has a partial mediating effect in the association between workplace ostracism and JP. Workplace ostracism and emotional exhaustion both are negatively related to JP the effects of workplace ostracism on JP are mediated by employee emotional exhaustion. H4. EE mediates the connection of workplace ostracism and JP. 6.1 Conclusion The present research unloaded the effect workplace ostracism on job performance through undermining roles of emotional exhaustion exclusion, with a specific concentrate arranged the conditions cutting-edge which workers' presentation toward workplace ostracism fewer prone towards decrease capacity near encounter presentation prerequisites. The probability that existence ostracized remains connected with inferior job performance lessens to the degree that workers are progressively positive about their capacities. Thusly, this examination gives basic bits of knowledge addicted to when members' experience hierarchical misconduct, as social avoidance, is pretty much prone to destabilize their recital. 6.2 Limitation of the study The present study was conducted by focusing on only two cities; future research should focus on much larger area and should expand research to other big cities of Pakistan. 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