Designing a Model of Antecedents and Consequences of Employees’ Loneliness in Governmental Organizations: A Case Study of Ilam City

Amir Hesam  Javaheri; Masoud  Bastami; Sasan Sheikh Esmaeili

Authors

Amir Hesam Javaheri Department of Management, Sa.C., Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0009-0002-0887-475X
Masoud Bastami Department of Management, Sa.C., Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7284-8172
Sasan Sheikh Esmaeili Department of Management, Sa.C., Islamic Azad University, Sanandaj, Iran. Author https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2067-5032

Keywords:

conceptual model design, antecedents and consequences, employee loneliness, governmental organizations

Abstract

Loneliness in the workplace, as one of the most significant psychological and social challenges faced by employees, has attracted growing attention from researchers and organizational managers in recent years. This phenomenon not only has extensive psychological and individual consequences, but can also directly affect organizational commitment, productivity, and the quality of work relationships. In Iranian governmental organizations—particularly in cities such as Ilam, which are characterized by bureaucratic administrative structures and formal patterns of interaction—examining the dimensions and shaping factors of loneliness becomes especially important. The purpose of the present study was to design a conceptual model of the antecedents and consequences of employees’ loneliness in governmental organizations in Ilam. This research was applied in purpose and qualitative in methodology, conducted using thematic analysis. To collect data, semi-structured interviews were carried out with 25 employees and managers of governmental organizations in Ilam, selected through purposive and snowball sampling. The participants had diverse demographic characteristics such as gender, age, educational background, years of service, and organizational position, enabling the acquisition of varied perspectives regarding the experience of loneliness in the workplace. The collected data were analyzed in three stages of open, axial, and selective coding, ultimately resulting in the extraction of main and subcategories related to the antecedents and consequences of loneliness. The findings indicated that loneliness in the workplace is shaped by three categories of factors: individual, interpersonal, and organizational. Furthermore, the results showed that the consequences of loneliness emerge at three levels: psychological (reduced self-esteem, anxiety, depression), behavioral (silent withdrawal, reduced social interactions), and organizational (performance decline, reduced commitment, and increased turnover intention). Finally, the conceptual model developed in this study illustrates the relationships between the antecedents and outcomes of workplace loneliness in a systematic framework. This model can serve as a basis for human resource policymaking and the development of intervention programs aimed at mitigating the negative effects of loneliness and enhancing organizational well-being in the public sector.

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