The lingering effects of perceived daily negative workplace gossip on next-day work alienation in China: a dual-pathway perspective of rumination and emotion.

INTRODUCTION

Existing research has predominantly confined its scope to the immediate, detrimental consequences of daily negative workplace gossip, largely overlooking its lingering effects. To address this critical limitation, we present a dual-pathway model grounded in the cognitive theory of rumination. By conceptualizing negative gossip as a signal of interpersonal "goal failure," we suggest its effects are more nuanced and enduring than previously assumed.

METHODS

We examined how negative gossip triggers distinct overnight responses through a multi-method approach. Study 1 employed an online recall experiment with 132 employees to establish the causal effect of negative gossip on two distinct forms of post-work information processing: problem-solving pondering and affective rumination. Building upon this, Study 2 utilized a daily diary design with 139 employees over 9 days to dynamically examine the lagged effects of these cognitive processes.

RESULTS

Study 1 demonstrated that perceived negative gossip causes employees to engage in both problem-solving pondering and affective rumination. Multilevel analyses in Study 2 revealed that these lingering effects unfold in opposing directions: problem-solving pondering at night fosters strong emotion the next morning, which subsequently reduces work alienation. Conversely, affective rumination precipitates distress emotion the next morning, thereby exacerbating work alienation.

DISCUSSION: These findings offer critical insights into the enduring and dual-edged nature of workplace gossip. By identifying the sequential cognitive-affective chains during and after non-work time, this study expands theoretical understandings of how daily gossip shapes next-day work experiences through both maladaptive strain and constructive mobilization.