Abstract:
Sri Lanka’s hotel industry, integral to the nation’s tourism and economic growth,
depends on the integrity and collaboration of its workforce to deliver exceptional
service. However, negative social experiences such as workplace ostracism can erode
these standards by prompting employees to engage in behaviors that, while beneficial to
job performance, violate ethical norms. Despite its implications, limited research has
explored how workplace ostracism contributes to pro-job unethical behavior (PJUB) in
Sri Lanka’s hospitality sector, particularly in interaction with personal traits like
interpersonal sensitivity. Grounded in Social Cognitive Theory, this study examines the
relationship between workplace ostracism and PJUB, with interpersonal sensitivity
assessed as a moderating variable. Adopting a quantitative, deductive research design,
data were collected through structured questionnaires from 175 hotel employees in the
Northern Province of Sri Lanka, using a convenience sampling method. Measures
included established scales for workplace ostracism, interpersonal sensitivity, and PJUB.
Correlation and hierarchical regression analyses using SPSS revealed a significant
positive association between workplace ostracism and PJUB (r = .59, p < .01; β = .57, p
< .001), indicating that ostracized employees are more likely to rationalize unethical
behavior aimed at securing job performance or recognition. Furthermore, the results
confirmed the moderating role of interpersonal sensitivity (interaction term β = .18, p <
.01); the link between ostracism and PJUB was stronger among employees with higher
interpersonal sensitivity. These findings highlight the complex interplay between social
exclusion and personal traits in shaping ethical behavior in service settings. Practically,
the study calls for hotel managers to promote inclusive work cultures and to identify and
support employees who may be particularly vulnerable to ostracism-induced
misconduct. Limitations include the cross-sectional design and reliance on self-reported
data, which restricts causal inference. Future research could incorporate longitudinal
designs and explore other moderating variables, such as moral identity or organizational
justice, in this context.
