Effect of workplace ostracism on emotional exhaustion and unethical behaviour among Chinese nurses: A time‐lagged three‐wave survey

Abstract

Aim This study examined: (a) the impact of nurses’ workplace ostracism on unethical behavior; (b) mediating role of emotional exhaustion between nurses’ workplace ostracism and unethical behavior; and (c) moderating effect of hostile attribution bias. Background While unethical behavior is a workplace phenomenon that can negatively influence the sustainable development of settings, few nurse studies have explored it. This study identified an interpersonal antecedent of unethical behavior: workplace ostracism. Design A time‐lagged three‐wave survey was conducted over three months (November 2016 to January 2017) to collect data. Methods Nurses (N=530) from three hospitals in China completed three anonymous self‐reported questionnaires. Descriptive statistics, linear regression and moderated mediation tests were performed, and data analyzed using SPSS 23.0 and Mplus7.4. Results Workplace ostracism positively influenced nurses’ unethical behavior and emotional exhaustion mediated the relationship between workplace ostracism and unethical behavior. Nurses’ hostile attribution bias moderated the effect of workplace ostracism on emotional exhaustion and unethical behavior. Conclusion Workplace ostracism was an important interpersonal factor predicting unethical behavior. Nurse supervisors should establish a harmonious interpersonal environment and be aware of hostile attribution bias to prevent nurses’ unethical behavior. Impact Workplace ostracism is a pervasive phenomenon in the nursing workplace that contributes to unethical behavior. Nurse supervisors and staff should together establish harmonious working environments without workplace ostracism. Nurse supervisors should pay attention to nurses’ emotions and conduct psychological counseling to minimize the negative effects of workplace ostracism. This study contributed to understanding how and why nurses engaged in unethical behavior.