Workplace Ostracism Scale
The Workplace Ostracism Scale measures the extent to which an employee feels excluded, ignored, or dismissed by colleagues and supervisors—a form of social exclusion distinct from harassment but equally harmful to mental health and performance. Developed by Ferris, Brown, Berry, and Lian, the WOS captures subtle exclusionary behaviors: being left out of conversations, having contributions ignored, or being given the silent treatment. Workplace ostracism predicts depression, anxiety, reduced engagement, and turnover, making it critical for identifying and addressing subtle organizational toxicity.
Source record
Citations copied verbatim from the method’s source record. No claim-level verification is inferred from them.
- Ferris, D. L., Brown, D. J., Berry, J. W., & Lian, H. (2008). The development and validation of the Workplace Ostracism Scale. J Appl Psychol, 93(6), 1348–1366. · DOI 10.1037/a0012743
- Williams, K. C. (2001). Ostracism: The power of silence. Guilford Press. · ISBN 978-1-57230-640-7
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Related methods
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