The Experience Of Loneliness In Organisations

Abstract

Loneliness research tends to focus on personal characteristics as the primary determinant of the experience, and largely ignores the workplace as a trigger. A theoretical model of loneliness at work was developed, taking into account both personality and organisational factors. 363 employees from diverse occupational backgrounds participated in the study. SEM results indicate that organisational climate serves to simultaneously predict the emotional deprivation factor of loneliness and employee attitudes. The results suggest that contextual factors such as fear, lack of community spirit, and value congruence predict loneliness in organisations. The study represents a work-in-progress and offers insight for future research.