The lingering effects of perceived daily negative workplace gossip on next-day work alienation in China: a dual-pathway perspective of rumination and emotion.

Introduction: Existing research has predominantly confined its scope to the immediate, detrimental consequences of daily negative workplace gossip, largely overlooking its lingering effects. To address this critical limitation, we present a dual-pathway model grounded in the cognitive theory of rumination. By conceptualizing negative gossip as a signal of interpersonal "goal failure," we suggest its effects are more nuanced and enduring than previously assumed. Methods: We examined how negative gossip triggers distinct overnight responses through a multi-method approach. Study 1 employed an online recall experiment with 132 employees to establish the causal effect of negative gossip on two distinct forms of post-work information processing: problem-solving pondering and affective rumination. Building upon this, Study 2 utilized a daily diary design with 139 employees over 9 days to dynamically examine the lagged effects of these cognitive processes. Results: Study 1 demonstrated that perceived negative gossip causes employees to engage in both problem-solving pondering and affective rumination. Multilevel analyses in Study 2 revealed that these lingering effects unfold in opposing directions: problem-solving pondering at night fosters strong emotion the next morning, which subsequently reduces work alienation. Conversely, affective rumination precipitates distress emotion the next morning, thereby exacerbating work alienation. Discussion: These findings offer critical insights into the enduring and dual-edged nature of workplace gossip. By identifying the sequential cognitive-affective chains during and after non-work time, this study expands theoretical understandings of how daily gossip shapes next-day work experiences through both maladaptive strain and constructive mobilization.