Reducing Workplace Ostracism Through Value-Based Leadership: A CIMO-Guided Bibliometric Synthesis

Abstract

 Workplace ostracism is a significant psychosocial risk that adversely affects employee well-being, engagement, and organizational effectiveness. This study examines how value-based leadership approaches ethical, authentic, spiritual, transformational, and empathic leadership mitigate workplace ostracism and influence employee outcomes across diverse organizational contexts. A bibliometric analysis using R-Studio and a systematic literature review were conducted, with findings synthesized through the Context–Intervention–Mechanism–Outcome (CIMO) framework. The results show that value-based leadership reduces workplace ostracism by fostering psychological safety, trust, inclusion, resilience, and meaningful work through mechanisms such as social exchange, social identity, self-determination, and relational trust. Conversely, destructive leadership intensifies ostracism, stress, employee silence, turnover intentions, and reduced well-being. This study provides the first integrated CIMO-based synthesis of value-based leadership and workplace ostracism from an occupational health and safety (OHS) perspective, offering theoretical insights and practical guidance for developing inclusive, psychologically safe, and resilient workplaces.