Examining the Mediating Effect of Personality Traits on the Effect of Organizational Loneliness on Employee Motivation

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to determine the organizational loneliness perceptions of public personnel and the effects of these perceptions on employee motivation and whether personality traits have a mediating role in this effect.
Design/methodology/approach – In order to achieve the objectives, data was obtained from 219 participants via an online survey and quantitative methods were used for analysis. The analysis of the obtained data was tested with SPSS 26 package program and Smart-PLS package programs. Public institution employees in Düzce city center were taken as the basis for the purpose of the study.
Results – It was determined that organizational loneliness has a negative effect on motivation. Although organizational loneliness has no effect on personality traits, it was observed that personality traits have a mediating effect on motivation. In addition, organizational loneliness was found to have a direct effect on motivation.
Discussion – The findings obtained enable practitioners to make inferences regarding employees experiencing a sense of loneliness and their effects on low motivation in order to develop appropriate strategies. Although organizational loneliness was measured as a stress factor, it was examined together with its effects on motivation, which is an effective factor in the success of employees. The study fills the gap in the organizational loneliness literature by examining the mediating effect of personality traits and explaining them from a separate perspective.