Development of a Japanese version of the Workplace Ostracism Scale

Abstract

Experiencing ostracism in the workplace can significantly affect both employees’ behavior and mental well-being. This study develops a Japanese version of the Workplace Ostracism Scale (WOS-J) to measure instances of workplace ostracism among Japanese employees. Factor analyses indicated that the WOS-J retained a single-factor structure consistent with the original scale and demonstrated high reliability. The findings from three surveys revealed that the WOS-J was significantly correlated with social undermining, affective commitment, leader-member exchange, depression, interpersonal justice, in-role behavior, and self-esteem, which is consistent with the results of the original version. However, in contrast to the previous study, the WOS-J did not exhibit significant correlations with job satisfaction or perceived organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) norms. This discrepancy suggests that job satisfaction may not always reflect satisfaction with workplace relationships and that cultural differences may exist in relation to OCB.