The work–family spillover and crossover effects of negative workplace gossip

Qianlin Zhu and Ken Cheng

The Service Industries Journal, 2025, vol. 45, issue 3-4, 407-425

Abstract: Building on ego depletion theory and crossover theory, we investigated how negative workplace gossip damages the target and has implications for the target’s spouse. We examined whether this occurs through the linking mechanisms of personal resources, specifically the target’s ego depletion. Using time-lagged data with a sample of 230 matched frontline employees and their spouses from a service company in China, we found that the resource drain of negative workplace gossip had a spillover effect through ego depletion at work to increase the employee’s work–family conflict. Furthermore, it crossed over to the spouse due to the employee undermining the family. We found that perceived organizational support plays a crucial role in buffering the adverse effects of negative workplace gossip in both work and family domains. Finally, we discussed the implications for research and practice.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/02642069.2023.2247341

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The Service Industries Journal is currently edited by Eileen Bridges, Professor Domingo Ribeiro, Ronald Goldsmith, Barry Howcroft and Youjae Yi

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