Supervisor Pubbing and Workplace Ostracism: The Moderating Role of Age Cohorts Among IT Sector Employees

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between supervisor pubbing (the behavior of supervisors ignoring employees because of their excessive smartphone use) and workplace ostracism, and the moderating effect of age cohorts (Generation X, Millennials, and Generation Z). The research is based on Affective Events Theory (AET) which conceptualizes supervisor pubbing as a negative affective workplace event that leads to rejection, exclusion, and social alienation, which results in perceived workplace ostracism. The survey was conducted on 385 IT sector employees in Pakistan, using validated measurement instruments, which was quantitative. The results of PLS-SEM analysis with bootstrapping (5,000 resamples) showed that the direct effect of supervisor pubbing on workplace ostracism was significant and positive (β = 0.797, p < 0.001). This relationship was significantly moderated by age cohorts (β = 0.187, t = 3.672, p < 0.001), with Generation X showing the highest ostracism perception after supervisor pubbing, Millennials showing moderate, and Generation Z showing weak but significant perception of ostracism. The findings enrich organizational behavior theory and provide actionable implications for fostering age-sensitive, inclusive supervisory practices in digitally intensive workplaces.

Keywords: supervisor pubbing, workplace ostracism, age cohorts, Affective Events Theory, generational differences, IT sector, Pakistan, social exclusion