Workplace ostracism: Impact on social capital, organizational trust, and service recovery performance

Abstract

The main purpose of the study was to examine the influence of workplace ostracism on service recovery performance (SRP). Because effective SRP is crucial for the success of hospitality businesses, it is important to study new factors that can enhance SRP. The current study makes a significant contribution to the service recovery literature by identifying critical predictors of SRP. Although the effects of workplace ostracism on work outcomes are well established, much less is known about the underlying mechanisms linking those relationships. Drawing from the conservation of resource theory, this study particularly examined the mediating role of bonding social capital with co-workers and organizational trust. Data was collected from five-star hotels in Turkey involving 180 employees. Structural equation modeling results show the mediating effect of bonding social capital and organizational trust between ostracism and SRP. The current study significantly contributes to the ostracism literature by finding a new outcome variable (i.e., SRP - an essential element of service performance which is especially important in hospitality and tourism contexts) and two new mediators that explain the underlying mechanism. The study provides implications for researchers and practitioners.