The Effects of Active Constructive and Passive Corrective Leadership on Workplace Incivility and the Mediating Role of Fairness Perceptions

Abstract

Given the high costs of workplace deviance to employees and organizations, the question of when and how leaders can reduce or prevent uncivil interpersonal interactions at work is important. In this regard, we sought to understand the implications of one of the most widely cited models of leadership, the Full Range Leadership model, on workplace incivility through the lens of active constructive and passive corrective leadership. Analyzing multi-source data collected from 239 employee-coworker dyads working in diverse organizations, we find that active constructive leadership is related to decreased incidence of workplace incivility through its positive impact on fairness perceptions, whereas passive corrective leadership is both directly and indirectly (through diminished fairness perceptions) related to workplace incivility. This study provides theoretical and practical implications regarding the strategic focus of organizational interventions related to leadership in an effort to reduce workplace incivility and the mechanism by which it operates.

Transformational Leadership and Incivility: A Multilevel and Longitudinal Test

“…More research is needed to understand the function and importance of this finding in work contexts. In sum, in line with cross-sectional results obtained in previous studies (Lee & Jensen, 2014), a negative relation was observed between TFL and workplace incivility at L2 and L1.…”

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

“…When placing solidarity at one pole of a continuum and incivility at the other pole, we would expect employees' production and property deviancies-harmful to the organization-to be much more extensive at the incivility pole and when facing lack of co-workers' solidarity. Examining the role of co-workers' solidarity as an antecedent of incivility and deviant behavior towards the organization is important, since there is a lack of knowledge as to the antecedents of incivility (Schilpzand De Pater, and Erez 2015), and since deviant behavior can cause damage to the organization (Cortina 2008;Lee and Jensen 2014). In line with Lee and Jensen (2014), we argue that understanding the sources of uncivil and deviant behavior (to both production and property) in the workplace can reduce incivility, thereby contribute to a positive workplace atmosphere.…”

Predicting retail shrink from performance pressure, ethical leader behavior, and store‐level incivility

“…This research also provides evidence of an uncivil work milieu as a function of interpersonal mistreatment perpetrated by store employees. Previous research on incivility norms (Walsh et al, ) and workplace mistreatment climate (Yang, Caughlin, Gazica, Truxillo, & Spector, ) has largely focused on individual employee perceptions, and prior research relating performance pressure or leader behavior to workplace incivility has similarly emphasized the individual level of analysis (Harold & Holtz, ; Lee & Jensen, ; Mitchell et al, in press; Walsh et al, ). Although individuals can certainly hold personal beliefs about the extent to which incivility is common in the workplace, it is also important to focus on the emergent or shared properties of behavior.…”

“…In support of social learning theory, research on the relationship between leadership and incivility demonstrates that leaders play a significant role in setting expectations and being a role model for civil conduct between employees (Gallus, Walsh, van Driel, Gouge, & Antolic, 2013;Harold & Holtz, 2015;Lee & Jensen, 2014).…”