Dark Triad and instigated incivility: The moderating role of workplace spirituality

Abstract

Workplace incivility is a pervasive phenomenon in today's organizations. Given its financial and psychological costs for the employers and employees (Schilpzand, De Pater, & Erez, 2016), it is important to explore and identify the factors that trigger the instigation of workplace incivility. Drawing on insights from past literature on negative workplace behaviors, the present study investigates the linkage between Dark Triad personality traits and instigated incivility to supervisors and colleagues at work. Based on the assumptions of social control theory (Hirschi, 1969), the study also examines the moderating effect of workplace spirituality on these relationships using samples from academic institutions (N = 350) and hotel industry (N = 338). Among Dark Triad, Machiavellianism emerged as the most significant predictor of instigated incivility. Workplace spirituality moderated the association of Machiavellianism, psychopathy, and narcissism with instigated incivility to supervisors and colleagues. While workplace spirituality enhanced the tendency to instigate incivility among employees exhibiting high levels of Machiavellianism, it reduced the propensity to instigate uncivil acts for employees high on the traits of narcissism and psychopathy.