Being ignored or excluded by family affects the workplace performance of leaders and their staff – new research

Family ostracism—being ignored or excluded by your own family—can significantly impair leadership effectiveness and reduce customer service performance, and organisations need to recognize it as a legitimate form of employee stress that can damage the workplace, new research shows.  

The study, published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology, explores how emotional strain from family exclusion spills over into professional life, affecting not only leaders but also the frontline employees they supervise. 

The researchers describe family ostracism as being ignored in family conversations, excluded from decisions or unsupported during difficult times. They carried out two studies in Pakistan and Morocco among hotel managers and employees in four and five-star hotels, to understand the impact.

The fallout of family ostracism means leaders are more likely to experience work alienation, where they feel emotionally detached and disengage from work goals. They typically adopt a ‘laissez-faire’ leadership style, characterized by passivity and disengagement.

“Our findings highlight a critical but often overlooked link between personal relationships and professional performance,” said Professor Yasin Rofcanin from the University of Bath’s Future of Work research centre. “When leaders are emotionally depleted at home, their ability to engage, support, and guide their teams suffers—ultimately affecting customer outcomes.”

People facing family ostracism might attempt to restore strained relationships by investing additional time, emotional effort and attention at home. For example, increasing involvement in childcare, logistical planning or ‘emotional caretaking’ - reducing the time and energy they can devote to work.

“When leaders put more effort into resolving challenges at home it can drain the emotional and cognitive resources they need for work,” said Professor Rofcanin. “It can leave them mentally fatigued, emotionally exhausted and less able to engage meaningfully with professional responsibilities. Over time, it can erode their sense of connection to their role, leading to feelings of detachment and disengagement.”

In practice, leaders showing signs of alienation might avoid team discussions, have little enthusiasm for employees’ ideas, and distance themselves from decision-making responsibilities. These behaviours reflect a breakdown in their connection to the work environment, which can trigger a ripple effect that undermines team morale and employee performance.

“When leaders lack the mental bandwidth or emotional resilience required to engage meaningfully in the workplace this crosses over to employees, eroding their motivation and capability to care for customers’ needs. We see a negative impact on ‘customer stewardship’ which is a key driver of service excellence.” said Professor Rofcanin.

The research is co-authored by academics at the University of Sharjah, the University of Aberdeen, Adiyaman University, and George Washington University.  

The researchers found that leaders with high political skill – the ability to navigate social dynamics and influence others – are better able to buffer the negative effects of family ostracism, maintaining their engagement and leadership effectiveness despite personal challenges.

Dr Muhammad Usman, from the University of Sharjah, said: “The findings highlight the need for organisations to take a more holistic view of leadership support that recognises family ostracism as a legitimate source of strain that can affect workplace dynamics.”

When the family turns away: Leader family ostracism, work alienation, and the crossover to frontline employees' customer stewardship behaviour is published in the Journal of Occupational and Organizational Psychology: https://bpspsychub.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joop.70036

ENDS

 Notes to editors

•  For more information please contact the University of Bath Press office at press@bath.ac.uk

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