Answering the Call: New Directions in the Study of Workplace Interactions

Abstract

Interpersonal interactions matter to individuals and the organizations which employ them. This collection of presentations addresses employee behaviors ranging from the negative (e.g., workplace incivility) to the positive (e.g., civility). The authors move the literature forward by addressing novel topics and utilizing rigorous research methods, answering the call by Hershcovis and Reich (2013), who recently criticized the extant literature on workplace aggression. In the first study, Kabat-Farr and Walsh address the relational context of workplace mistreatment by studying behavioral reactions to supervisor incivility, focusing on employee characteristics that may affect reciprocation of incivility toward the supervisor and/or engagement in displaced aggression toward coworkers. The second study by Leiter, Price, and Day explores connections between attachment styles and interpersonal treatment in organizations. They find that anxious and avoidant attachment styles are positively linked to experienced and instigated incivility. The third study uses an experimental method to understand reactions to observed mistreatment in organizations. Reich draws on Aquino and Lamertz’s (2004) relational model of workplace victimization to investigate whether bystander reactions vary as a function of the nature of and relationship between perpetrator and target. In the final study, employing a longitudinal social network method, Porath and Gerbasi turn their attention to respect, and find that it can lead to positive gains for the civil individual, including being perceived as a leader and a source of work advice. Dr. Julian Barling will serve as the discussant and provide constructive feedback on each presentation, as well as stimulate discussion among attendees. The Influence of Victim and Perpetrator Archetypal Roles on Third-party Reactions to Mistreatment Presenter: Tara Reich; London School of Economics