Whispers in the Team: Understanding the Link between Work Team Gossip and Team Creativity via Emotional Exhaustion and Employee Silence Through a Two-Waved Study in Pakistan’s IT Sector

Abstract

This study addresses a pervasive challenge hindering creativity in IT sector, an industry reliant on innovation. Anchored in the Conservation of Resources Theory, the study investigates the obstructive role of negative work team gossip in team creativity, unraveling a sequential mediation process involving emotional exhaustion and employee silence. Utilizing a questionnaire-based approach, time-lagged data were gathered from 307 employees across seven IT sector companies in Islamabad. The results underscore the detrimental influence of work team gossip, both directly impeding team creativity and indirectly operating through the sequential mediation of emotional exhaustion and employee silence. Beyond contributing to the knowledge base, this study provides practical insights for IT company management, emphasizing the imperative to address and mitigate work team gossip to foster a conducive environment for team creativity in the IT sector. Recognizing emotional exhaustion and employee silence as pivotal mediators guides actionable interventions for cultivating a more innovative and collaborative work culture.