How Workplace Loneliness affect Productivity of Employees in Pakistan: Mediatory Role of Need to Belong and Affective Commitment to Organization, Complemented by Collective Orientation and Job Autonomy

Purpose: The purpose of present research is to explore the channels through which workplace loneliness effects on productivity of employees. We proposed a theoretical framework suggesting that workplace loneliness increases the Need to Belong (NtB), and Affective Commitment to Organization (ACO), these would in turn effect productivity of employees. We also contend that the direct effect of loneliness on productivity in moderated by Collective culture Orientation (CO) and Job Autonomy (JA), in a way that high levels of of both will weaken the negative effect of loneliness on productivity. Design / Methodology: Present research has been conducted using descriptive strategy following quantitative approach. The researcher has adopted survey design to accumulate the data. The data collection method in this research was primary through close ended questionnaire. The population was comprised of the individuals working in any organization. The researcher has adopted simple random sampling technique to select the participants, however the sample size was 312. Data was analysed using Structural Equation Modelling (SEM). The variables that were taken as independent were workplace loneliness (WPL), Need to Belong (NtB), Job Autonomy (JA), Collective Orientation (CO) and Affective Commitment to Organization (ACO). The dependent variable of the study was Work Productivity of Employees. Findings: As per the findings, the relationship of Workplace Loneliness (WPL) seem to have a positive effect on Work Productivity (WP) of employees. WPL also seems to positively effect Need to Belong (NtB), which in turn positive effect productivity, hence a significant positive mediation of NtB between WPL and WP. The effect of WPL on Affective commitment (AC) seem to be insignificant however, AC seem to have a positive effect on WP. Both moderations effects seem to remain inconclusive Research Implications: The results strongly suggest that loneliness is not just an individual phenomenon but a social phenomenon that we show here relate to Employees' productivity. A practical implication of our results to consider loneliness an organizational problem that needs to be tackled to help employees and improve work productivity.