Workplace Ostracism and Instigated Workplace Incivility: A Moderated Mediation Model of Narcissism and Negative Emotions

This study aims to examine the association between workplace ostracism (WO) and instigated workplace incivility (IWI). By drawing on the stressor-emotion model of counterproductive work behaviour (SEM-CWB) (Spector & Fox, 2005), the research examines the mediating role of negative emotions (NEs) and moderating role of narcissism between WO – IWI relationship. The study employs partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM, Smart PLS-4) to analyse 300 responses taken from employees working in public sector organizations. Data were collected in two-time lags. The empirical results confirmed that WO is positively and significantly related to IWI directly as well as through the mediation of NEs. Moreover, narcissism moderates the mediated relationship in a way that the relationship gets stronger for higher level of narcissism. WO – IWI relationship with moderated mediation of narcissism and NEs has never been explored in the past. This study adds to the literature on SEM-CWB. It offers valuable insights to the public sector organizations in developing policies and norms within the organizational culture to proactively counter the adverse effects of WO and IWI.