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Factors contributing to the perpetration of workplace incivility: the importance of organizational aspects and experiencing incivility from others

Torkelson, Eva LU ; Holm, Kristoffer LU ; Bäckström, Martin LU and Schad, Elinor LU orcid (2016) In Work & Stress 30(2). p.115-131
Abstract
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... (More)
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. (Less)
Abstract (Swedish)
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... (More)
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. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Workplace incivility; antecedents; perpetrator; instigator; co-worker; organizational change; job insecurity, Workplace incivility, antecedents, perpetrator, instigator, co-worker, organizational change, job insecurity, Educational psychology
in
Work & Stress
volume
30
issue
2
pages
16 pages
publisher
Taylor & Francis
external identifiers
  • scopus:84964523976
  • wos:000375478000001
  • pmid:27226677
ISSN
0267-8373
DOI
10.1080/02678373.2016.1175524
project
Incivility as a social process in the organization
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The project was financed by the Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare [FORTE dnr 2012-0138].
id
9101cd4b-9cc3-4a24-bf5f-5fa54eaf5569
date added to LUP
2016-05-03 18:49:43
date last changed
2024-10-07 13:33:34
@article{9101cd4b-9cc3-4a24-bf5f-5fa54eaf5569,
  abstract     = {{In recent years a growing amount of research has been conducted<br/>in the area of workplace incivility. Whereas many studies have<br/>focused on the victims and the consequences of incivility, little<br/>attention has been paid to the perpetrators and antecedents of<br/>workplace incivility. This study aims to identify possible<br/>antecedents of workplace incivility, by investigating organizational<br/>aspects as well as the possibility that being the target of incivility<br/>from co-workers and supervisors could induce incivility. A total of<br/>512 employees (378 women and 133 men) in the school sector in<br/>a Swedish municipality completed an online questionnaire.<br/>Overall, the results of structural equation modelling analyses<br/>showed that organizational variables were related to the<br/>perpetration of incivility. A direct relationship was found between<br/>being uncivil and organizational change, job insecurity, low social<br/>support from co-workers and high job demands. However, the<br/>strongest relationship was found between experienced incivility<br/>from co-workers and instigated incivility. This could be reflecting a<br/>climate or culture of incivility in the organization, and carry<br/>implications for future practice in interventions against workplace<br/>incivility. The results indicate the importance of focusing on the<br/>perspective of the instigator to gain knowledge about the process<br/>of workplace incivility.}},
  author       = {{Torkelson, Eva and Holm, Kristoffer and Bäckström, Martin and Schad, Elinor}},
  issn         = {{0267-8373}},
  keywords     = {{Workplace incivility; antecedents; perpetrator; instigator; co-worker; organizational change; job insecurity; Workplace incivility; antecedents; perpetrator; instigator; co-worker; organizational change; job insecurity; Educational psychology}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  month        = {{04}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{115--131}},
  publisher    = {{Taylor & Francis}},
  series       = {{Work & Stress}},
  title        = {{Factors contributing to the perpetration of workplace incivility: the importance of organizational aspects and experiencing incivility from others}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/02678373.2016.1175524}},
  doi          = {{10.1080/02678373.2016.1175524}},
  volume       = {{30}},
  year         = {{2016}},
}