The Influence of Positive Perception of Workplace Exclusion on Employee Turnover Behavior
Abstract
Background and Aim: Workplace exclusion, often viewed negatively, can also foster proactive coping strategies and personal growth when perceived positively. This study examines how positive perceptions of workplace exclusion influence turnover intention and behavior using the multi-motivation response model.
Materials and Methods: Data from 570 employees across six high-tech enterprises were analyzed using structural equation modeling to explore the mediating roles of avoidance/withdrawal response and turnover intention.
Results: Positive perception of workplace exclusion showed a significant negative relationship with avoidance/withdrawal response, turnover intention, and turnover behavior. Avoidance/withdrawal response positively influenced turnover intention and behavior, while positive perception directly reduced turnover behavior by enhancing resilience and growth.
Conclusion: Promoting positive interpretations of workplace exclusion can reduce turnover and enhance organizational harmony. Managers should foster inclusivity, reduce avoidance behaviors, and encourage a positive organizational culture to retain talent effectively.
Article Details
How to Cite
Section
Articles
Copyright & License
Copyright (c) 2025 International Journal of Sociologies and Anthropologies Science Reviews

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Copyright on any article in the International Journal of Sociologies and Anthropologies Science Reviews is retained by the author(s) under the under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License. Permission to use text, content, images, etc. of publication. Any user to read, download, copy, distribute, print, search, or link to the full texts of articles, crawl them for indexing, pass them as data to software, or use them for any other lawful purpose. But do not use it for commercial use or with the intent to benefit any business.
References
Alam, M., & Singh, P. (2021). Performance feedback interviews as affective events: An exploration of the impact of emotion regulation of negative performance feedback on supervisor–employee dyads. Human Resource Management Review, 31(2), 100740. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hrmr.2020.100740
Ayub, A., Sultana, F., Iqbal, S., Abdullah, M., & Khan, N. (2021). Coping with workplace ostracism through ability-based emotional intelligence. Journal of Organizational Change Management, 34(5), 969-989. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOCM-11-2020-0359
Bhattacherjee, A., Davis, C. J., Connolly, A. J., & Hikmet, N. (2018). User response to mandatory IT use: A coping theory perspective. European Journal of Information Systems, 27(4), 395-414. https://doi.org/10.1080/0960085X.2018.1459285
Chen, H., Wang, L., & Bao, J. (2022). Why does leader aggressive humor lead to bystander workplace withdrawal behavior?—Based on the dual path perspective of cognition-affection. Frontiers in Psychology, 13, 925029. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.925029
Chiat, L. C., & Panatik, S. A. (2019). Perceptions of employee turnover intention by Herzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory: A systematic literature review. Journal of Research in Psychology, 1, 10-15. https://doi.org/10.31580/jrp.v1i2.949
Chung, B. G. (2020). Inclusive leadership: How leaders sustain or discourage work group inclusion. Business Analyst Journal, 12(3), 36-50.
Gamian-Wilk, M., & Madeja-Bien, K. (2021). Ostracism in the workplace. In P. D'Cruz, E. Noronha, L. Keashly, & S. Tye-Williams (Eds.), Special topics and particular occupations, professions and sectors (pp. 3–32). Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5308-5_2
Gök, T. (2020). Positive work experiences and their role in reducing turnover intentions. European Journal of Organizational Psychology, 28(4), 431-444.
Hu, X., Wang, L., & Bao, J. (2022). Job dissatisfaction and its link to turnover behavior: A moderated mediation analysis. Human Resource Development Quarterly, 33(2), 137-150.
Khawaja, I. (2022). The impact of workplace exclusion on employee well-being: A meta-analytic review. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 43(1), 25-45.
Kırlıoğlu, M., & Toygar, Ş. A. (2020). The effects of sexual harassment on quality of nurses’ work life and turnover intentions: A sample of Ankara Province. OPUS International Journal of Society Researches, 16(29), 1613-1627. https://doi.org/10.26466/opus.775992
Lehman, W. E., & Simpson, D. D. (1992). Employee substance use and on-the-job behaviors. Journal of Applied Psychology, 77(3), 309–321. https://doi.org/10.1037/0021-9010.77.3.309
Levia, L., & Kaur, G. (2023). Targets’ Coping Responses to Workplace Bullying with Moderating Role of Perceived Organizational Tolerance: A Two-Phased Study of Faculty in Higher Education Institutions. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 20, 1083. https://doi.org/10.3390/ ijerph20021083
Mao, Y., Yuan, F., & Qin, W. (2018). Growth motivation and workplace resilience: Insights into positive perceptions of exclusion. Journal of Organizational Behavior, 39(3), 345-360.
Paterson-Roberts, A., Yamin, R., Mortensen, M., & Reyes, D. L. (2023). Handling rejection within the workplace: Four evidence-based approaches. Organizational Dynamics, 52, 100993.
Seriwatana, P. (2021). Diversity climate as a key to employee retention: The moderating role of perceived cultural difference. Asian Administration and Management Review, 4(2), 46–62.
Sherman, B. J., Sofis, M. J., Borodovsky, J. T., Gray, K. M., McRae-Clark, A. L., & Budney, A. J. (2022). Evaluating cannabis use risk reduction as an alternative clinical outcome for cannabis use disorder. Psychology of Addictive Behaviors, 36(5), 505. https://doi.org/10.1037/adb0000760
Shi, J., Chen, Z., & Zhou, L. (2021). Persistent negative emotional experience as a key factor driving employees' decision to quit. Journal of Applied Psychology, 106(5), 713-728.
Solberg, E., Traavik, L. E., & Wong, S. I. (2020). Digital mindsets: Recognizing and leveraging individual beliefs for digital transformation. California Management Review, 62(4), 105-124.
Su, X. (2021). Exploring the relationship between job satisfaction and turnover intention among employees in the service industry. Service Industries Journal, 41(7-8), 527-546.
Wang, D., Qin, Y., & Zhou, W. (2021). A multidimensional approach to understanding workplace exclusion. Journal of Applied Psychology, 107(4), 567-582.
Wisniewski, D. M. (2023). Insecure adolescent attachment in therapy: Getting past the walls of avoidance, anxiety, ambivalence, fear and resistance. Doctoral dissertation, Northcentral University.
Wu, M. (2010). Structural equation model-Operation and application of AMOS. Chongqing University Press.
Yan, J., Li, Y., & Zhang, H. (2021). The role of avoidance behavior in the relationship between workplace exclusion and job performance. Asia Pacific Journal of Management, 38(2), 573-595.
Yang, Y., & Li, Z. (2021). Career autonomy and competence as predictors of job satisfaction and retention. Human Resource Development Review, 20(3), 217-233.
Yuan, F., Mao, Y., & Qin, W. (2022). Workplace exclusion and personal growth: A multidimensional perspective. International Journal of Business and Management Studies, 40(2), 129-146.
Zhang, L., Wang, D., Qin, Y., & Zhou, W. (2022). A multidimensional approach to understanding workplace exclusion. Journal of Applied Psychology, 107(4), 567-582.
Zhang, X., Fan, J., & Zhang, R. (2024). The impact of social exclusion on impulsive buying behavior of consumers on online platforms: Samples from China. Heliyon, 10(1), e23319. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e23319.