A Study on the Basic Variables of Organizational Exclusion: A University Example
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.63556/tisej.2025.1651Keywords:
Organizational Exclusion, Workplace Ostracism, Academic Staff, higher education institutions, Organizational BehaviorAbstract
This study aims to examine the phenomenon of organizational exclusion in higher education institutions through the experiences of academic staff. Human beings inherently seek belonging and acceptance; when these needs are not met, individuals are likely to experience a sense of exclusion. Organizational exclusion is a significant organizational behavior problem that negatively affects employees’ psychological well-being, motivation, and performance. However, the literature remains limited in addressing this phenomenon within the unique context of higher education institutions.
A qualitative research method was adopted, employing a phenomenological design. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 23 academics working at a public university in Turkey, and the responses of 15 participants who had experienced exclusion were analyzed using descriptive analysis. The findings reveal that organizational exclusion predominantly manifests in the forms of intellectual segregation (e.g., exclusion from research projects and publication processes) and institutional distance (hierarchical relations and decision-making mechanisms). Moreover, exclusion was found to lead to psychosocial consequences such as motivational erosion, reduced productivity, and burnout. Participants reported coping strategies such as building solidarity networks, self-motivation, and utilizing institutional mechanisms.
This study contributes to the literature by providing a comprehensive perspective on organizational exclusion in the higher education context. Furthermore, it offers practical implications for fostering inclusive cultures, transparent communication, and fair management policies in universities.
References
Ballı, F. E., & Önen, Ö. (2019). Okul müdürleri, öğretmenler ve yardımcı personelin okullardaki örgütsel iletişim iklimine yönelik görüşleri. OPUS International Journal of Society Researches, 14(20), 514–550. https://doi.org/10.26466/opus.602779
Baş, T., & Akturan, U. (2017). Sosyal bilimlerde bilgisayar destekli nitel araştırma yöntemleri (3. bs.). Seçkin Yayıncılık.
Başkale, H. (2016). Nitel araştırmalarda geçerlik, güvenirlik ve örneklem büyüklüğünün belirlenmesi. Dokuz Eylül Üniversitesi Hemşirelik Fakültesi Elektronik Dergisi, 9(1), 23–28.
Baumeister, R. F., & Leary, M. R. (1995). The need to belong: Desire for interpersonal attachments as a fundamental human motivation. Psychological Bulletin, 117(3), 497–529. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.117.3.497
Bhatti, S. H., Hussain, M., Santoro, G., & Culasso, F. (2023). The impact of organizational ostracism on knowledge hiding: Analysing the sequential mediating role of efficacy needs and psychological distress. Journal of Knowledge Management, 27(2), 485–505. https://doi.org/10.1108/JKM-03-2021-0223
Bruning, S. D., & Ledingham, J. A. (1999). Relationships between organizations and publics: Development of a multidimensional organization–public relationship scale. Public Relations Review, 25(2), 157–170.
Creswell, J. W. (1998). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five traditions (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. Canada
Creswell, J. W. (2012). Educational Research: Planning, Conducting, and Evaluating Quantitative. Prentice Hall Upper Saddle River, Pearson. USA
Creswell, J. W. (2013). Research Design: Quantitative and Mixed Methods Approaches. SAGE Publications. USA
Creswell, J. W., & Poth, C. N. (2018). Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches (4th ed.). SAGE Publications. USA
Dash, S., Ranjan, S., Bhardwaj, N., & Rastogi, S. K. (2023). Workplace ostracism: A qualitative enquiry. Personnel Review. https://doi.org/10.1108/pr-06-2022-0454
Eriş, Y., & Arun, K. (2020). Toksik Liderliğin Bir Çıktısı Olarak Örgütsel Bağlılık. OPUS International Journal of Society Researches, 15(24), 2764-2804. https://doi.org/10.26466/opus.599311
Ferris, D. L., Brown, D. J., Berry, J. W., & Lian, H. (2008). The development and validation of the Workplace Ostracism Scale. Journal of Applied Psychology, 93(6), 1348–1366. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0012743
Ferris, D. L., Lian, H., Brown, D. J., & Morrison, R. (2015). Ostracism, self-esteem, and job performance: When do we self-verify and when do we self-enhance? Academy of Management Journal, 58(1), 279–297. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2011.0347
Gagne ´, M. and Deci, E.L. (2005), Self-determination theory and work motivation, Journal of Organizational Behavior, 26 (4), 331-362. DOI: 10.1002/job.322
Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1982). Epistemological and methodological bases of naturalistic inquiry. Educational Communication & Technology Journal, 30(4), 233–252.
Guba, E. G., & Lincoln, Y. S. (1994). Competing paradigms in qualitative research. Handbook of qualitative research, 2, 163-194. DOI: 10.12691/education-2-2-7
İzci, Ç. (2018). Akademik kurumlarda örgütsel adalet ve dışlanma arasındaki ilişki: araştırma görevlileri üzerine bir araştırma. Trakya Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 20(2), 177-194. https://doi.org/10.26468/trakyasobed.502209
Kacmar, K. M., Bozeman, D. P., Carlson, D. S., & Anthony, W. P. (1999). An examination of the perceptions of organizational politics model: Replication and extension. Human relations, 52(3), 383-416.
Kanoğlu, M. F. (2025). Nepotizmin Kurum Kültürüne Etkisinde Örgütsel Adaletin Aracı Rolü. Ekonomik ve Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 21(1), 150-170.
Karadağ E., Polat G., (2021). Yükseköğretimde örgütsel güç kaynakları ve akademik dışlanmışlık ilişkisi üzerine bir araştırma. Yükseköğretim ve Bilim Dergisi/Journal of Higher Education and Science, 11(2), 360-366. https://doi.org/10.5961/jhes.2021.455
Karataş, Z. (2015). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri. Manevi Temelli Sosyal Hizmet Araştırmaları Dergisi, 1(1), 62-80.
Leary, M. R. (2005). Sociometer Theory and Pursuit of Relational Value: Getting to the Root of Self-Esteem. European. Review of Social Psychology, 16, 75-111. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/10463280540000007
Li, M., Xu, X., & Kwan, H. (2021). Consequences of Workplace Ostracism: A Meta-Analytic Review. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, 641302. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2021.641302
Lincoln, Y. S., & Guba, E. G. (1985). Naturalistic inquiry. SAGE Publications. USA
Merriam, S. B. (2009). Qualitative Research: A Guide to Design and Implementation: Revised and Expanded from Qualitative Research and Case Study Applications in Education. San Franscisco, USA: Jossey-Bass.
Mertens, D. M. (2014). Research and Evaluation in Education and Psychology: Integrating Diversity with Quantitative, Qualitative, and Mixed Methods. SAGE Publications. USA
Miles, M. B. ve Huberman, A. M. (2016). Genişletilmiş Bir Kaynak Kitap: Nitel Veri Analizi (Çev. S. Akbaba Altun ve A. Ersoy). Ankara: Pegem Akademi.
Morgan, D. L. ve Morgan, R. K. (2008). Single-Case Research Methods For The Behavioral And Health Sciences. Sage Puplication. USA.
Ng, T. W. H., & Feldman, D. C. (2012). Employee voice behavior: A meta‐analytic test of the conservation of resources framework. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 33(2), 216–234. https://doi.org/10.1002/job.754
Nishii, L. H., & Wright, P. M. (2008). Variability within organizations: An empirical investigation of a new approach to managing diversity. Academy of Management Journal, 51(6), 1107–1123.
Özdemir, M. (2010). Nitel veri analizi: Sosyal bilimlerde yöntembilim sorunsalı üzerine bir çalışma. Eskişehir Osmangazi Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 11(1), 323-343.
Özgenel, M., Canuylası, E. M. (2021). Okul müdürlerinin yıkıcı liderlik davranışlarının örgütsel strese etkisi. Manas Sosyal Araştırmalar Dergisi, 10(3), 1652-1664.
Patton, M. Q. (1987). How to Use Qualitative Methods in Evaluation. Sage Puplication.USA
Robinson, S. L., O’Reilly, J., & Wang, W. (2012). Invisible at Work: An Integrated Model of Workplace Ostracism. Journal of Management, 39(1), 203-231. https://doi.org/10.1177/0149206312466141
Scott, K. L., & Thau, S., (2013). Theory and Research on Social Exclusion in Work Groups, The Oxford Handbook of Social Exclusion, Oxford Library of Psychology https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780195398700.013.0007
Sharma, N., & Dhar, R. L. (2022). From curse to cure of workplace ostracism: A systematic review and future research agenda. Human Resource Management Review, 32(3), 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2021.100836
Solak, Ç., & Teközel, M. (2019). Sosyal Dışlanma Olgusu Üzerine Genel Bir İnceleme. Manisa Celal Bayar Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 17(4), 293-315. https://doi.org/10.18026/cbayarsos.585260
Tekindal, M. ve Uğuz Arsu, Ş. (2020). Nitel araştırma yöntemi olarak fenomenolojik yaklaşımın kapsamı ve sürecine yönelik bir derleme. Ufkun Ötesi Bilim Dergisi, 20(1), 153-182.
Tokmak, M. (2019). Kamu Çalışanlarında Örgütsel Adalet Algısı ve Örgütsel Bağlılık Düzeyi Arasındaki İlişkiye Yönelik Bir Araştırma: Bursa ve Afyonkarahisar İli Örneği. Anadolu Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Dergisi, 19(3), 321-334. https://doi.org/10.18037/ausbd.632110
Tosun, K., & Çelik, M. (2019). Conflict management styles and organizational health: The case of school administrators. Educational Leadership Review, 25(1), 56–74.
Türnüklü, A. (2000). Eğitimbilim araştırmalarında etkin olarak kullanılabilecek nitel bir araştırma tekniği: Görüşme. Kuram ve Uygulamada Eğitim Yönetimi, 24(24), 543-559.
Williams, K. D. (2002). Ostracism: The power of silence. Guilford Press.
Wu, L.-Z., Wei, L.-Q., & Hui, C. (2011). Dispositional antecedents and consequences of workplace ostracism: An empirical examination. Frontiers of Business Research in China, 5(1), 23–44. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11782-011-0119-2
Yıldırım, A., & Şimşek, H. (2021). Sosyal bilimlerde nitel araştırma yöntemleri (12. baskı). Seçkin Yayıncılık.
Yoldaş, A., Kılıç, B., & Karaman, M. (2020). Örgütsel Dışlanmanın İş Performansı ve İşten Ayrılma Niyeti Üzerindeki Etkisinin İncelenmesi. Selçuk Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Meslek Yüksekokulu Dergisi, 23(2), 479-496. https://doi.org/10.29249/ selcuksbmyd. 683115
Yüceant, M., Balabanlı, O.F., ve Ünlü, H. (2022). Spor eğitimi veren yükseköğretim kurumlarındaki personelin örgüt kültürü ve örgütsel iklimi. Spor Bilimleri Araştırmaları Dergisi, 7(1), 109-122.
Zadro, L., Williams, K. D., & Richardson, R. (2004). How low can you go? Ostracism by a computer is sufficient to lower self-reported levels of belonging, control, self-esteem, and meaningful existence. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 40(4), 560–567 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2003.11.006
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Third Sector Social Economic Review
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
