Dispositional agreeableness predicts ostracizing others at work

Ostracism is a prevalent and powerful phenomenon in people`s lives, and has a great impact on people`s psychological well-being. Whereas most research on ostracism focuses on the target (people who are being ostracized), this study focused on the source (people who ostracize others). The purpose is to investigate the relationship between dispositional agreeableness and the likelihood of ostracizing others in the workplace. A 14-item workplace ostracism scale (WOSP) was created to measure workers` likelihood of ostracizing coworkers. One-hundred and sixty-two undergraduate students from Michigan State University with work experience involving interaction with coworkers completed the Big Five Inventory (including agreeableness), the WOSP, and other demographic and workplace background measures. An exploratory factor analysis yielded two different factors of the WOSP: inclusion and exclusion. Multiple regression analysis showed that agreeableness positively predicted workplace inclusion and negatively predicted workplace exclusion, as expected. Also, participants reported ostracizing coworkers more in workplaces with a norm that is tolerable of ostracism. This implies that by promoting an inclusive workplace norm, managers can reduce the prevalence of ostracism. The WOSP shows promise as a measurement tool to advance the understanding of dispositional and environmental factors on ostracizing others at work.