Workplace Incivility

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

Workplace incivility has been defined as "low-intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the
target. ... Uncivil behaviors are characteristically rude and discourteous, displaying a lack of regard for
others."[1] The authors hypothesize there is an "incivility spiral" in the workplace made worse by "asymmetric
global interaction".[1]
Incivility is distinct from violence. The reduction of workplace incivility is a fertile area for applied psychology
research.

Contents
[hide]

1 Surveys on occurrence and effects

2 Subtle/covert examples

3 Overt examples

4 Corporate symptoms of long term incivility

5 Related notions
o

5.1 Workplace bullying

5.2 Petty authority

6 See also

7 References

8 Further reading
o

8.1 Books

8.2 Academic papers

Surveys on occurrence and effects[edit]

A summary of research conducted in Europe suggests that workplace incivility is common there.[2] In research
on more than 1000 U.S. civil service workers, Cortina, Magley, Williams, and Langhout (2001) found that more
than 70% of the sample experienced workplace incivility in the past five years.[2] Similarly, Laschinger, Leiter,
Day, and Gilin found that among 612 staff nurses, 67.5% had experienced incivility from their supervisors and
77.6% had experienced incivility from their coworkers.[3] In addition, they found that low levels of incivility
along with low levels of burnout and an empowering work environment were significant predictors of nurses
experiences of job satisfaction and organizational commitment.[3] Compared to men, women were more
exposed to incivility.
Incivility was associated with occupational stress and reduced job satisfaction. After conducting more than six
hundred interviews with "employees, managers, and professionals in varying industries across the United
States" and collecting "survey data from an additional sample of more than 1,200 employees, managers, and
professionals representing all industrial categories in the United States and Canada", researchers Christine M.

Pearson and Chiristine L. Porath wrote in 2004 that "The grand conclusion: incivility does matter. Whether its
costs are borne by targets, their colleagues, their organizations, their families, their friends outside work, their
customers, witnesses to the interactions, or even the instigators themselves, there is a price to be paid for uncivil
encounters among coworkers."[4] Citing previous research (2000) Pearson writes that "more than half the targets
waste work time worrying about the incident or planning how to deal with or avert future interactions with the
instigator. Nearly 40 percent reduced their commitment to the organization; 20 percent told us that they reduced
their work effort intentionally as a result of the incivility, and 10 percent of targets said that they deliberately cut
back the amount of time they spent at work."[5]

Subtle/covert examples [edit]

Examples at the more subtle end of the spectrum include:[1]

giving somebody a "dirty look"

asking for input and then ignoring it

"forgetting" to share credit for a collaborative work

speaking with a condescending tone

interrupting others

not listening

waiting impatiently over someone's desk to gain their attention

side conversations during a formal business meeting/presentation

Overt examples [edit]

Somewhere between the extremes are numerous everyday examples of workplace rudeness and impropriety
such as:[6]

sending a nasty and demeaning note (hate mail)

talking about someone behind his or her back

emotional put-downs

Disrespecting workers by comments, gestures or proven behaviors (hostility) based on characteristics

such as their race, religion, gender, etc. This is considered workplace discrimination.

making accusations about professional competence

undermining credibility in front of others

overruling decisions without giving a reason

disrupting meetings

giving public reprimands

giving the silent treatment

not giving credit where credit is due

giving dirty looks or other negative eye contact (i.e. "hawk eyes" considered to be threatening in the
culture of the United States)

insulting others

Other overt forms of incivility might include emotional tirades and losing one's temper.[6]

Corporate symptoms of long term incivility [edit]

1. Higher than normal employee turnover.[7]
2. A large number of employee grievances and complaints.[7]
3. Lost work time by employees calling in sick.[7]
4. Increased consumer complaints.[7]
5. Diminished productivity in terms of quality and quantity of work.[7]
6. Cultural and communications barriers.[7]
7. Lack of confidence in leadership.[7]
8. Inability to adapt effectively to change.[7]
9. Lack of individual accountability.[7]
10. Lack or respect.[7]

Related notions [edit]

Workplace bullying [edit]
Main article: Workplace bullying
Workplace bullying overlaps to some degree with workplace incivility but tends to encompass more intense and
typically repeated acts of disregard and rudeness. Negative spirals of increasing incivility between
organizational members can result in bullying,[8] but isolated acts of incivility are not conceptually bullying
despite the apparent similarity in their form and content. In case of bullying, the intent of harm is less
ambiguous, an unequal balance of power (both formal and informal) is more salient, and the target of bullying
feels threatened, vulnerable and unable to defend himself or herself against negative recurring actions.[9][10]

Petty authority [edit]

Main article: Petty authority
Another related notion is petty tyranny, which also involves a lack of consideration towards others, although
petty tyranny is more narrowly defined as a profile of leaders and can also involve more severe forms of abuse
of power and of authority.[1]

See also [edit]

Industrial and organizational psychology

Occupational stress

Occupational health and safety

Counterproductive work behavior

Toxic workplace

Egocentrism

Human resource development

Occupational health psychology

Psychopathy

Sexual harassment

Workplace harassment

Workplace bullying