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. 2021 Apr 6:12:545478.
doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.545478. eCollection 2021.

Threat Upon Entry: Effect of Coworker Ostracism on Newcomers' Proactive Behaviors During Organizational Socialization

Pan Liu  1 , Yihua Zhang  2 , Yan Ji  3 , Shaoxue Wu  4
Affiliations

Threat Upon Entry: Effect of Coworker Ostracism on Newcomers' Proactive Behaviors During Organizational Socialization

Pan Liu et al. Front Psychol. .

Abstract

Extant literature has underlined the importance of newcomer proactive socialization to the organization. However, the effect of coworker ostracism on newcomers' proactive behaviors has not been noticed. Drawing on the conservation of resources (COR) theory, we proposed a model exploring how coworker ostracism impacted newcomers' proactive behaviors via the mediation of psychological availability. Through an empirical study with a sample of 263 newcomers and three waves of longitudinal data, we found that coworker ostracism had a negative effect on newcomers' information seeking and guanxi developing. In addition, emotional intelligence enhanced the negative effect of coworker ostracism on newcomers' psychological availability and the indirect influence of coworker ostracism on newcomers' proactive behaviors via psychological availability. Important theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Keywords: coworker ostracism; emotional intelligence; newcomers’ proactivity; organizational socialization; psychological availability.

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Conflict of interest statement

YJ was employed by company CCCC Wuhan Harbour Engineering Design & Research Corporation Limited. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Conceptual model.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Interactive effect of coworker ostracism and emotional intelligence on newcomers’ psychological availability.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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