Uncovering the Landscape of Workplace Ostracism: A Bibliometric Review and Future Pathways

This study presents a comprehensive bibliometric analysis of research on workplace ostracism, aiming to map the intellectual structure, trends and emerging themes in the field. Using bibliometric methods and data from key academic Scopus databases, this analysis identifies the most influential authors, sources and countries contributing to the research on workplace ostracism. A significant increase in publications from 2010 onwards highlights growing academic interest in understanding the impacts of ostracism in organizational contexts. Key thematic clusters, such as the psychological and behavioural consequences of ostracism, leadership styles, employee well-being and coping mechanisms, are identified. The central role of foundational works, such as the development of the Workplace Ostracism Scale and theoretical frameworks on social exclusion, underscores their importance in shaping current research. The geospatial distribution of countries indicates that China, the United States and Pakistan have dominated the research output. It reflects both global relevance and regional research dynamics. The review places much emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of workplace ostracism research. It covers organizational behaviour, psychology and business ethics. Findings reveal critical gaps in the literature, particularly in cross-cultural studies and in research on the impact of remote work on ostracism. This bibliometric analysis lays out a roadmap for future research directions, encouraging scholars to explore less-examined areas and develop regionally sensitive frameworks to better understand the varied impacts of workplace ostracism.