When exclusion silences employees: a social identity perspective on ostracism, defensive cognitions, and perceptual politics

Purpose The paper investigates the role of workplace ostracism and perceptions of organizational politics in shaping employee silence as a cognitively driven measure of defense by drawing on the social identity theory. Design/methodology/approach The pertinence of the framework was ascertained through a comprehensive literary analysis coupled with a survey-based study conducted with 123 fulltime employees from the banking sector of Pakistan. Findings The results confirmed that employees’ defensive cognitions assume a predominant role in navigating silence upon being ostracized, with perceptions of organizational politics exacerbating individuals’ propensity towards silence. Practical implications Organizations need to foster inclusivity and promote transparency to mitigate the detrimental effects of ostracism and perceptions of politics, and alleviate identity crisis facing employees. Originality/value The study advances an identity-driven explanation for employee silence while accounting for the significance of social relationships and perceptions of organizational politics, highlighting how relational and structural factors govern employee behaviour within collectivist cultural contexts.