Factors contributing to the perpetration of workplace incivility: the importance of organizational aspects and experiencing incivility from others
Author
Summary, in English
In recent years a growing amount of research has been conducted
in the area of workplace incivility. Whereas many studies have
focused on the victims and the consequences of incivility, little
attention has been paid to the perpetrators and antecedents of
workplace incivility. This study aims to identify possible
antecedents of workplace incivility, by investigating organizational
aspects as well as the possibility that being the target of incivility
from co-workers and supervisors could induce incivility. A total of
512 employees (378 women and 133 men) in the school sector in
a Swedish municipality completed an online questionnaire.
Overall, the results of structural equation modelling analyses
showed that organizational variables were related to the
perpetration of incivility. A direct relationship was found between
being uncivil and organizational change, job insecurity, low social
support from co-workers and high job demands. However, the
strongest relationship was found between experienced incivility
from co-workers and instigated incivility. This could be reflecting a
climate or culture of incivility in the organization, and carry
implications for future practice in interventions against workplace
incivility. The results indicate the importance of focusing on the
perspective of the instigator to gain knowledge about the process
of workplace incivility.
in the area of workplace incivility. Whereas many studies have
focused on the victims and the consequences of incivility, little
attention has been paid to the perpetrators and antecedents of
workplace incivility. This study aims to identify possible
antecedents of workplace incivility, by investigating organizational
aspects as well as the possibility that being the target of incivility
from co-workers and supervisors could induce incivility. A total of
512 employees (378 women and 133 men) in the school sector in
a Swedish municipality completed an online questionnaire.
Overall, the results of structural equation modelling analyses
showed that organizational variables were related to the
perpetration of incivility. A direct relationship was found between
being uncivil and organizational change, job insecurity, low social
support from co-workers and high job demands. However, the
strongest relationship was found between experienced incivility
from co-workers and instigated incivility. This could be reflecting a
climate or culture of incivility in the organization, and carry
implications for future practice in interventions against workplace
incivility. The results indicate the importance of focusing on the
perspective of the instigator to gain knowledge about the process
of workplace incivility.
Department/s
Publishing year
2016-04-21
Language
English
Pages
115-131
Publication/Series
Work & Stress
Volume
30
Issue
2
Document type
Journal article
Publisher
Taylor & Francis
Topic
- Applied Psychology
Keywords
- Workplace incivility; antecedents; perpetrator; instigator; co-worker; organizational change; job insecurity
- Workplace incivility
- antecedents
- perpetrator
- instigator
- co-worker
- organizational change
- job insecurity
Status
Published
Project
- Incivility as a social process in the organization
ISBN/ISSN/Other
- ISSN: 0267-8373