In a Lonely Place: The Experience of Loneliness in the Workplace

Abstract

If we are to believe anecdotal literature and media reports, loneliness bedevils many successful executives and business leaders. However, it is puzzling that a phenomenon already reported as a current experience by so many organizational leaders should receive so little attention by researchers. Several commentators have argued that the availability and quality of social relationships in the workplace is diminishing (e.g. Joyce, 2004), however loneliness in the workplace has been curiously neglected in the literature. Loneliness is not a new phenomenon to study empirically, nor is loneliness at work a new concept for journalists to report on. For instance, the words ‘loneliness’ and ‘isolation’ are often mentioned in the popular media when a leader or senior executive is estranged because of his or her business or political dealings. However, the area of workplace loneliness remains a nebulous and under-examined construct, both empirically and theoretically. The research surrounding loneliness tends to focus almost exclusively on personal characteristics as the primary determinant of the experience, and largely ignores the workplace as a potential trigger. As such, personality tends to be overestimated as the reason for loneliness and virtually no attention is given to environmental factors, such as organizational climate, friendship and camaraderie, social support, community spirit or person-organization fit, as the potential causes of loneliness

British business leaders battle against office politics and loneliness, according to results of a survey announced today for the International Leadership Summit Leaders in London … Asked to indicate the worst elements of business leadership 43 per cent of respondents answered politics, while 31 per cent indicated that loneliness was the most unpleasant aspect of the job … just 8% of respondents said responsibility was the worst part of their job and a tiny 6% said they disliked being criticised as part of the role … ‘Loneliness is an unavoidable by-product of effective people management’ said Gary Fitzgibbon, chartered occupational psychologist. ‘A good leader must exhibit fairness, objectivity and emotional detachment – this last quality in particular prevents the development of special relationships with colleagues and therefore renders the leader isolated and alone in the work environment’…¹