Title
Phubbing in the Workplace; Exploring the Role of Rejection Sensitivity in the Relationship between Supervisor Phubbing and Employee Outcomes
Abstract
The aim of the current study was to test the impact of supervisor phubbing on employees psychological (i.e. Depression, Anxiety) and organizational outcomes (i.e. Organizational deviance, Organizational citizenship behavior and In role performance). Need to belong and organization-based self-esteem of employees were proposed as an underlying mechanism in the aforementioned relationships. Furthermore, rejection sensitivity was proposed as a boundary condition on the relationship between supervisor phubbing and need to belong. Data was collected through adopted questionnaires from employees working in the public and private sector organizations in twin cities. Purposive sampling technique was utilized. 407 respondents were considered for final data analysis. The model fitness results along with discriminant and convergent validities were calculated through AMOS. Preacher and Hayes Process Macros Model 4 & 6 were used to test the simple and serial meditation while model 1 was used to test the moderating effect.
Results revealed that, supervisor phubbing reduce need to belong, organizationbased self-esteem and organizational citizenship behavior of employees. The positive relationship of supervisor phubbing with depression and organizational deviance was found significant while the relationship between supervisor phubbing and anxiety, in-role performance was found insignificant. Positive significant relationship was found between Need to belong and organization-based self-esteem, organizational citizenship behavior and in role performance. The negative relationship of need to belong with depression, anxiety and organizational deviance was also found significant. The proposed positive relationship of organization-based self-esteem with organizational citizenship behavior and in role performance was found significant. The negative relationship of organization-based self-esteem with depression and organizational deviance was also found significant. However, the negative relationship of organization-based self-esteem with anxiety was found insignificant.
Furthermore, need to belong significantly mediates the relationship between supervisor phubbing and its outcomes. Organization based self-esteem also significantly mediates the relationship between supervisor phubbing and its outcomes. Organization-based self-esteem does not mediate the relationship between supervisor phubbing with anxiety. Need to belong and organization-based self-esteem serially mediates the relationship between supervisor phubbing and its outcomes. The serial mediation of need to belong and organization-based self-esteem between supervisor phubbing and anxiety was found insignificant. The result of the current study does not support the moderating effect of rejection sensitivity on the relationship between supervisor phubbing and employee need to belong. The belongingness theory was used to support the findings. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.