Happiness at work and cyber ostracism as independent drivers of innovation in remote and hybrid work environments

Abstract

The digital transformation of work has fundamentally altered innovation dynamics, yet organisations struggle to maintain creative capacity while navigating remote work complexities. This quantitative cross-sectional study examined relationships between happiness at work (HAW), innovative work behaviour (IWB), and cyber ostracism among 101 experienced hybrid and remote workers. Through hierarchical regression analysis, the study tested whether positive emotional states translate into innovation across three phases (generation, promotion, and implementation), and whether digital exclusion disrupts these pathways through psychological resource depletion versus structural barrier mechanisms. The findings revealed a compelling dual pathway model that challenged conventional theoretical assumptions. HAW demonstrated robust predictive power across all innovation phases (β = .503, 22.5% unique variance), confirming positive organisational scholarship principles extend to virtual contexts. Unexpectedly, cyber ostracism did not moderate the HAW-IWB relationship (β = .039, p = .677), suggesting that psychological resource depletion operates independently, rather than conditionally. However, cyber ostracism exerted substantial different negative effects (β = .384, 14.2% unique variance), indicating that structural barriers denying information access and communication channels represent the primary impediment. These additive effects demonstrate that happiness and inclusion constitute parallel necessities for innovation. Organisations should simultaneously cultivate employee well-being and eliminate digital exclusion as complementary rather than alternative strategies, providing foundational evidence for managing innovation in virtual contexts.