Workplace Incivility

Conceptual Overview

Workplace incivility is a relatively new area of scholarly debate. While the concept of incivility has been more widely considered in the social sciences in terms of antisocial behavior, crime, and delinquency, the shift to consider incivility as a workplace issue commenced with a groundbreaking article by Lynne Andersson and Christine Pearson published in the Academy of Management Review. They introduced us to the idea of incivility in the workplace and how damaging its effects can be on workplaces and individuals. They began their analysis by arguing that civility is behavior involving politeness and regard for others, behavior that operates within norms of respect for others. As an antonym for civility, incivility involves the quality of being uncivil, without good manners, being rude, impolite, and discourteous—being in violation of norms for respect in interpersonal relations. Workplace incivility was defined by Andersson and Pearson as being low-intensity deviant behavior, characterized by ambiguous intent, that includes rude and discourteous behavior, acting with disregard for others in the workplace, and being in violation of workplace norms for respect.

Workplace incivility tends to be characterized as a low-intensity antisocial behavior. Uncivil acts are generally less intense in that they are of lower magnitude in terms of force; they have a lower obvious negative charge than other forms of aggression. Workplace incivility is generally not perceived as being as harmful or serious as other forms of organizational mistreatment, such as those involving overt violence and aggression. However, it is not suggested that “low-intensity” be equated with “minor.” As is the case with other forms of workplace aggression, workplace incivility can take on a wide variety of nuanced behavior and can provide much discomfort and anxiety for those targeted. Uncivil behaviors may include anything from minor breaches of personal and professional etiquette through to gross professional misconduct. Examples include sending a nasty and demeaning note or e-mail, undermining a colleague's credibility, treating another like a child, berating one for an action in which he or she played no part, making unfounded accusations, spreading gossip, excluding someone from a meeting, neglecting to greet someone, cutting people off while they are speaking, not turning mobile phones off during meetings, leaving a jammed photocopier or printer for another to fix, leaving a mess and untidiness in the kitchen, not saying good morning, listening in on another's phone call, ignoring a colleague's request, using demeaning language or voice tone, making inflammatory remarks, and writing rude or unnecessarily incendiary e-mails. Incidents of workplace incivility may or may not be intended.

Many potential causes of workplace incivility have been suggested: anger that is inappropriately expressed, stress, lack of communication, increased workload, job insecurity, organizational change, and poor work organization. Organizational changes that have resulted in overwork, fewer resources, more challenges, and fear of job loss can exacerbate the likelihood of workplace incivility. Faddish corporate initiatives might also contribute to workplace incivility, including reengineering initiatives, downsizing, budget cuts, pressures for productivity, and the increasing use of part-time, casual, and temporary workers. In these circumstances, workplace incivility is facilitated by weaker connections with workers and perceptions of weaker responsibilities for casual and subcontracted staff. Flatter organization structures and a more casual demeanor at work, for example via casual-dress days, can also foster an atmosphere that provides fewer cues and expectations regarding proper business behavior and a more informal atmosphere that can inadvertently encourage disrespectful and thoughtless behavior from coworkers.

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