Personal and workgroup incivility: Impact on work and health outcomes.

TLDR

The article discusses implications for organizational science and practice. The authors aim to develop a theoretical model of how workplace incivility affects employees' occupational and psychological well‑being. The model links personal and workgroup incivility to outcomes such as work satisfaction, supervisor satisfaction, mental health, turnover intentions, and physical health. Across two studies with 1,158 and 271 employees, the model was supported: personal incivility influenced turnover intentions and physical health via reduced work and supervisor satisfaction and poorer mental health, while workgroup incivility added further negative effects, all remaining significant after controlling for general job stress.

Abstract

This article develops a theoretical model of the impact of workplace incivility on employees' occupational and psychological well-being. In Study 1, the authors tested the model on 1,158 employees, finding that satisfaction with work and supervisors, as well as mental health, partially mediated effects of personal incivility on turnover intentions and physical health; this process did not vary by gender. Study 2 cross-validated and extended these results on an independent sample of 271 employees, showing negative effects of workgroup incivility that emerged over and above the impact of personal incivility. In both studies, all results held while controlling for general job stress. Implications for organizational science and practice are discussed.