Workplace ostracism and cyberloafing: a social cognitive perspective

Abstract

Purpose The purpose of this study is to better understand the effect of workplace ostracism on cyberloafing by examining the mediating effect of moral disengagement. The role of organisational commitment as a moderator of the association between workplace ostracism and cyberloafing is also examined. Design/methodology/approach The proposed hypotheses are tested with survey data collected from 243 employees among public listed companies in Malaysia. Data are analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling. Findings The results show that workplace ostracism has a significant positive influence on cyberloafing. Furthermore, it is observed that workplace ostracism serves as a mediating factor in the link between workplace ostracism and cyberloafing. Finally, organisational commitment is revealed to have no significant moderating effect on the relationship between workplace ostracism and cyberloafing. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first study to build and test a model based on social cognitive theory that examines the fundamental mechanisms through which workplace ostracism influences cyberloafing.