Regain Acceptance from Being Ostracized: Effects of Impression Management and Self-Monitoring

Research on ostracism suggests that being socially excluded can trigger an individual’s desire to belong by using social influence tactics, such as impression management, to regain social acceptance and mitigate ostracism. However, we know little about the role of social influence or impression management tactics in regaining social acceptance and the alleviation of further ostracism. Additionally, whether all individuals will use such an approach to cope with ostracism is unknown. Drawing on the cognitive-affective personality system theory, we propose that whether an individual will use impression management tactics when being ostracized and whether impression management tactics are an effective means to cope with ostracism depends on one’s self-monitoring propensity. We analyzed data from 277 employee–coworker pairs in a three-wave time-lag design over two years. Results of a two-stage moderated mediation model reveal that when being ostracized, those high in self-monitoring tended to deploy impression management tactics and their engagement in impression management helped increase social acceptance (i.e., decrease ostracism and increase popularity) over time. In contrast, those low in self-monitoring tended not to do so when being ostracized, because engaging in impression management exacerbated rather than mitigated workplace ostracism.