An eye for an eye? Exploring the relationship between workplace incivility experiences and perpetration.

Abstract

We examined the effects of gender and organizational climate for incivility on the relationship between individuals' incivility experiences and perpetration. Based on Andersson and Pearson's (1999) concept of the incivility spiral, Naylor, Pritchard, and Ilgen's (1980) theory of behavior in organizations, and social interactionist theory (Felson & Tedeschi, 1993), we proposed an interaction between incivility experiences, organizational climate for incivility (organizational tolerance and policies), and gender in predicting incivility perpetration. Results indicate that incivility experiences predict incivility perpetration and that men are more likely to be uncivil to others when their organization tolerates rudeness. Women's incivility experiences were associated with increased incivility perpetration, but were unaffected by incivility climate. Implications for research and practice are discussed.

Workplace Incivility in a Swedish Context

“…Men were found to report uncivil behavior more often, both on an interpersonal level and also on an organizational level (Reio & Ghosh, 2009). Consistent with this, Gallus et al (2014) found that men were more likely than women to engage in uncivil conduct. Reio and Ghosh (2009) showed that young men were the most likely instigators of workplace incivility.…”

“…Some support has been shown for this theory, as Porath and Pearson (2012) found that being targeted by aggressive behavior relate, indirectly via anger and fear, to negative behaviors aimed at the instigator. One study directly ties incivility experiences to incivility perpetration among both men and women (Gallus et al, 2014). However, Pearson et al (2001) found support for the hypothesis that merely witnessing incivility is related to a need to retaliate on behalf of the target, indicating that uncivil conduct can reach beyond the victim.…”

“…Workplace incivility has been shown in earlier studies to be closely associated with negative outcomes such as lower well-being (Lim et al, 2008) as well as instigated workplace incivility (Gallus et al, 2014). As some scholars have highlighted the risk that because incivility might be the precursor to more severe forms of aggression in the workplace (Andersson & Pearson, 1999), it is important to explore whether being exposed to incivility is related to the onset of further uncivil behaviors in the workplace.…”

The Role of Co-Workers’ Solidarity as an Antecedent of Incivility and Deviant Behavior in Organizations

“…Thus incivility is subjective in nature and therefore each one of the parties to an uncivil encounter can interpret reality in a different manner, which eventually leads to differences in attribution of intent. While some targets of incivility perceive it as intended, others might not consider it as intended (Gallus et al 2014;Sliter et al 2012).…”

Witnessing wrongdoing: The effects of observer power on incivility intervention in the workplace

“…Being targeted by incivility robs targets of felt power; they often seek to regain power by enacting incivility toward others (Gallus, Bunk, Matthews, Barnes-Farrell, & Magley, 2014). A recent line of research shows that these kinds of norm violations are means of expressing and gaining power.…”