Selective Incivility Research Articles

Do women perceive incivility from men as selective? Examining main effects, coping responses, and boundary conditions

AbstractWomen are more likely than men to be targets of incivility in the workplace. Scholars have referred to this pattern as selective incivility and suggest that incivility directed toward women—that is, selective incivility—is a form of modern sexism in the workplace. However, it remains unclear whether women themselves make sense of incivility from men as a form of gender bias, and when such perceptions shape whether women engage in unique responses to incivility perceived as selective. Drawing on social identity theory, we develop a conceptual model to better understand these relationships. Across two studies with working women, we show that women perceive male‐instigated incivility as selective. Further, our findings show that women are more likely to engage in problem‐focused‐responses (i.e., direct confrontation and formal reporting), rather than emotion‐focused responses (i.e., avoidance) in response to incivility perceived as selective and that these coping responses are, at times, moderated by the frequency of incivility. Overall, our research advances the literature on incivility, selective incivility, and gender bias at work, offers practical implications for managers seeking to foster workplace inclusion, and suggests novel directions for future research.

Instructors’ Understanding of Teaching First-Year Engineering Teaming: Characterization and Redirection

Teaming is increasingly important to teach well in undergraduate engineering education. Teams composed of both majority and minoritized students have an increased risk of majority members harassing minoritized members. Instructors of large classes have a difficult time identifying in which teams such harassment is taking place, and knowing what to do to interrupt it. This paper, part of a bigger project grounded in microaggression theory and selective incivility theory, specifically considers what instructors currently do, and indeed whether it is their job to address teammate harassment. We undertook a rough thematic analysis of interviews with instructors of a large first-year engineering course at a large American research-extensive majority-white university in the Midwest. We found instructors adopted an individual-centric model of teaming, intervened mainly in severe instances, and their interventions tended to be subtle. We offer an early version of an alternative model to structure forthcoming training sessions with instructors, graduate teaching assistants, and peer teachers.

To complain or not to complain: Management responses as a moderator in the relationship between workplace incivility and workplace outcomes among Australia and singaporean targets

Workplace incivility is a challenging global occupational risk that is frequently considered trivial by managers and organizations. Often, complaints from targets are ignored; when this occurs, complaints can quickly escalate into formal grievances that cost businesses millions of dollars. While existing studies have uncovered cultural and gendered differences in how targets and organizations respond to workplace incivility, few cross-cultural studies have empirically examined how targets and organizations react to formal complaints. This study responds to this gap by using selective incivility, the transactional stress model, and national/cultural theories to conduct a multifaceted analysis of the underlying mechanisms responsible for targets’ organizational outcomes. Specifically, we tested a moderated model with 303 Australian (152 males and 151 females) and 304 Singaporean (154 males and 150 females) employees working in multinational organizations to determine whether the degree to which organizations took incivility complaints seriously moderated the organizational outcomes of work withdrawal and work satisfaction. Overall, the results indicated that, compared to Singaporean employees and Australian female employees, Australian male employees were less tolerant of being mistreated and continued to experience heightened job dissatisfaction and withdrawal even when their complaints were taken seriously by their organization. These results suggest that complex gendered and cultural differences influence the impact of incivility complaints on work-related outcomes.

Miesten kokema selektiivinen loukkaava käyttäytyminen naisvaltaisilla aloilla

Selective incivility experienced by males in female-dominated fields Workplace incivility has attracted an increasing attention among scholars. Nevertheless, extant research on selective incivility has mostly focused on the female gender and male-dominated fields. To fill the obvious research gap, in this study men working in female-dominated occupations were asked to anonymously write about their personal experiences of workplace incivility. Based on the empirical analysis, the workplace incivility experienced by the informants can be grouped to five main categories: humiliating acts, exclusion, unreasonable demands, violating norms, and accusing. The analysis suggests that the nature of workplace incivility reported by men in this study is similar to that experienced by women as reported in previous studies. Therefore, it seems that workplace incivility often targets those representing the minority gender on fields dominated by the other gender. Interestingly, based on this study, the acts of workplace incivility often derive from gender norms and

How Identity Impacts Bystander Responses to Workplace Mistreatment.

Integrating a social identity approach with Cortina's (2008) theorizing about selective incivility as modern discrimination, we examine how identification-with an organization, with one's gender, and as a feminist-shapes bystanders' interpretations and responses to witnessed incivility (i.e., interpersonal acts of disrespect) and selective incivility (i.e., incivility motivated by targets' social group membership) toward women at work. We propose that bystanders with stronger organizational identification are less likely to perceive incivility toward female colleagues as discrimination and intervene, but female bystanders with stronger gender identification are more likely to do so. Results from two-wave field data in a cross-lagged panel design (Study 1, N = 336) showed that organizational identification negatively predicted observed selective incivility 1 year later but revealed no evidence of an effect of female bystanders' gender identification. We replicated and extended these results with a vignette experiment (Study 2, N = 410) and an experimental recall study (Study 3, N = 504). Findings revealed a "dark side" of organizational identification: strongly identified bystanders were less likely to perceive incivility as discrimination, but there were again no effects of women's gender identification. Study 3 also showed that bystander feminist identification increased intervention via perceived discrimination. These results raise doubts that female bystanders are more sensitive to recognizing other women's mistreatment as discrimination, but more strongly identified feminists (male or female) were more likely to intervene. Although strongly organizationally identified bystanders were more likely to overlook women's mistreatment, they were also more likely to intervene once discrimination was apparent.

Diversity climate affords unequal protection against incivility among Asian workers: The COVID‐19 pandemic as a racial mega‐threat

AbstractDespite longstanding recognition that organisations are open systems that are affected by the broader environments in which they are situated, scholars have rarely examined how such macrosocietal conditions may influence processes and experiences within the workplace. Integrating research on selective incivility and mega‐threats, we conceptualise the COVID‐19 pandemic as a racial mega‐threat and examine how this context may challenge organisations' efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. Specifically, we predict that the protective benefits of diversity climate against incivility, an insidious form of modern discrimination incited by the COVID‐19 pandemic, will be weaker for workers of Chinese descent compared to workers from other Asian subgroups, leading to more downstream negative outcomes for this group of workers (i.e., higher turnover intentions, poorer job performance and greater emotional exhaustion). This reflects the fact that workplaces are not impervious to the rising xenophobia toward China and Chinese people, who were particularly blamed and stigmatised for the emergence of this virus, as evident in North American society in early 2020. We found support for our predictions in a three‐wave, time‐separated study of Asian workers (N = 248) in the US and Canada during the first wave of the pandemic.

The identity impact of witnessing selective incivility: A study of minority ethnic professionals

AbstractWe examine how minority ethnic employees account for witnessing selective incivility to ethnically similar others. Our study is based on qualitative interviews with British Asian employees – the majority who witnessed incivility directed towards migrant Asian employees working for the same company. Our findings indicate that, for those whose minority ethnic identity was of central importance, witnessing selective incivility towards others from a similar ethnic background can be perceived as an identity threat. We provide insights into three identity work strategies undertaken by witnesses of selective incivility, while illuminating how minority ethnic identity shapes the way witnesses' respond to selective incivility in the workplace.

Incivility experienced by immigrants struggling with acculturation: exploring buffering effects of holding behaviors by mentors

PurposeChallenges with acculturation in organizations may make employees an easy target of workplace incivility and awareness of what constitutes uncivil behaviors at work can influence the association between acculturation and incivility. The current study examined the links between acculturation, incivility and tested mentor holding behavior as a moderator.Design/methodology/approachSurvey data including responses to incivility vignettes were collected from 163 full-time first- and second-generation immigrant employees in the southeastern United States. The data were analyzed through moderated hierarchical regression analysis.FindingsThe results indicated that those experiencing separation or marginalization in trying to acculturate into the dominant culture reported experiencing uncivil behaviors from supervisors and coworkers. Also, one's awareness of incivility moderated the positive relationship between experience of separation and experiences of incivility, such that this relationship was stronger for those who had higher awareness of what constitutes uncivil behavior. Additionally, the effect of marginalization on reported incivility was dampened with higher levels of mentor holding behavior.Originality/valueThis study’s findings extend the application of the selective incivility theory beyond the minoritized categories of race and gender to the immigrants struggling with acculturation in organizations. Also, our study lends support to widening the theoretical lens for mentoring to include relational systems theory.

Perceived Selective Incivility and Relational Trust for BAME SMEs during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The purpose of this article is to examine if perceptions of selective incivility reported by BAME SME owners were associated with a different relational trust preference compared to White SME owners, as they all engaged in external bricolage to navigate the uncertainty of the COVID-19 pandemic. Qualitative data were collected through in-depth interviews and an online questionnaire to 27 Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) and 55 White small and medium-sized enterprises (SME) owners in the United Kingdom. The research finds that in comparison to perceptions of White SME owners in the sample during the same period, perceptions of selective incivility reported by many BAME SME owners were associated with a different preference of relational trust as they all engaged in external bricolage. Thus, this research indicates how perceived selective incivility could affect the relational trust preferences of BAME SME owners in times of crisis and support from such institutions might not get to EMBs during periods of crisis.

Diversity Climate Affords Unequal Protection Against COVID-19 Workplace Incivility for Asian Workers

The COVID-19 pandemic has sparked significant anti-Asian prejudice and discrimination in North America. Integrating event system theory and selective incivility theory with research on diversity climate, we theorize that the typical protective effects of diversity climate against workplace mistreatment and discrimination may be disrupted by the pandemic. Specifically, given the particular animus directed toward the Chinese due to the discovery of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China paired with the fact that workers tend to share more personal information about themselves or may be more likely to adopt more visible displays of their ethnic identification at work when diversity climate is more positive, we predict that more positive diversity climates may not protect Chinese workers from selective incivility during the pandemic, whereas it may for Asian workers of other ethnic backgrounds. Downstream, workplace incivility attributed to prejudice due to COVID-19 should be related to a range of important work outcomes and social relations at and with work, including turnover intentions, job performance (including counterproductive work behaviors and organizational citizenship behaviors), and emotional exhaustion. In a 3-wave, time-separated study of Asian workers (N = 248) in North America during the first wave of the pandemic, we found support for our predictions.

Race, Incivility, and Perceptions of Racial Discrimination

We integrate selective incivility theory (Cortina, 2008) and attributional ambiguity theory (Crocker & Major, 1989) to examine the relationships among race, experienced incivility, perceived racial discrimination, and social integration. Based on the core tenet of selective incivility theory, we expect employees of color to experience higher levels of incivility than White employees. We further propose that social integration in the workgroup decreases experienced incivility, but only for employees of color as it minimizes social categorization processes. Based on attributional ambiguity theory, we then propose race to moderate the positive relationship between experienced incivility and perceived racial discrimination such that the relationship is stronger for employees of color than for White employees. To test these hypotheses using specific incidents of incivility, we collected weekly data from 150 staff at a U.S. university for six consecutive weeks. The results indicated no race differences in the experience of incivility. Further, social integration in the work unit decreased experienced incivility for employees of color only. Finally, for employees of color, but not White employees, there was a strong positive relationship between experienced incivility and perceived racial discrimination. These findings advance our understanding of selective incivility theory and connect incivility to perceptions of racial discrimination. We offer practical recommendations for reducing perceived discrimination and building more inclusive work environments for racial minorities.

Racialised professionals’ experiences of selective incivility in organisations: A multi-level analysis of subtle racism

This article explores how racialised professionals experience selective incivility in UK organisations. Analysing 22 in-depth, semi-structured interviews, we provide multi-level findings that relate to individual, organisational and societal phenomena to illuminate the workings of subtle racism. On the individual level, selective incivility appears as articulated through ascriptions of excess and deficit that marginalise racialised professionals; biased actions by white employees who operate as honest liars or strategic coverers; and white defensiveness against selective incivility claims. On the organisational level, organisational whitewashing, management denial and upstream exclusion constitute the key enablers of selective incivility. On the societal level, dynamic changes relating to increasing intolerance outside organisations indirectly yet sharply fuel selective incivility within organisations. Finally, racialised professionals experience intersectional (dis-)advantages at the imbrications of individual, organisation and society levels, shaping within-group variations in experiences of workplace selective incivility. Throughout all three levels of analysis and their interplay, differences in power and privilege inform the conditions of possibility for and the continual reproduction of selective incivility.

Differences among women in response to workplace incivility

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore the consequences of experienced workplace incivility when female employees perceive that they are different from their workgroup. The authors examine how women’s perceptions of demographic dissimilarity from their workgroup moderate the relationships between incivility and psychological wellbeing, and between incivility and turnover intentions.Design/methodology/approachA total of 125 female employees of a post-secondary institution participated in this study. Participants were recruited through an electronic mailing list over the course of one month and completed an online survey.FindingsExperienced workplace incivility among females is related to poorer psychological wellbeing and higher turnover intentions. Controlling for actual age and gender dissimilarity at the department level, perceived gender dissimilarity from one’s workgroup moderated the workplace incivility-turnover intentions relationship, whereby the relationship was strengthened at low, but not high levels of experienced incivility. Perceived gender dissimilarity did not moderate the incivility–psychological wellbeing relationship. Perceived age dissimilarity was not a significant moderator.Research limitations/implicationsThe role of perceived dissimilarity and other personal contextual variables should be considered in future work on selective incivility. Perceived dissimilarity can influence some of the negative outcomes associated with incivility, particularly at low levels.Originality/valueThis research extends the selective incivility literature by incorporating a relational demography perspective to the study of female targets’ experience of workplace incivility. Findings suggest that perceptions of difference may affect the interpretation and outcomes associated with females’ experience of incivility.

Selective incivility, trust and general well-being: a study of women at workplace

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to study if trust on team members and leaders leads to an experience of civil behavior in the workplace or reduced incivility at the workplace. The study was conducted on women employees and therefore termed as selective incivility.Design/methodology/approachIn the study, the relationship between team trust and leader trust was the antecedent variables and general well-being was the consequent variable. Civil behavior in the workplace was the mediating variable. The research was conducted on 228 working women in different sectors of the Indian organization. Trust (in leaders and on teams) and general well-being were measured by established scales. Selective incivility scale was developed based on the qualitative inputs from working women. Data were analysed on SPSS and AMOS version 20.FindingsThe study showed that trust (between leader and subordinates and among team members) led to an experience of civil behavior at workplace, and experience of civil behavior led to an experience of general well-being.Research limitations/implicationsThis research has contributed to both theoretical and managerial aspects. On the theoretical front, this research has emphasized the role of trust in building a civil environment in the workplace. On the managerial front, it has contributed to showing how low incivility encourages inclusivity and maintains the general well-being of employees, and therefore advocates the practice of civil behavior.Practical implicationsThe study is relevant in managing politics at workplace. With an environment of trust, the insecurity and doubt in the minds of employees are reduced. This leads to higher well-being of employees. In the modern times, workplaces are becoming more diverse. There are not only gender differences but also differences in age, sexual orientation and persons with disabilities. Presence of low incivility can go a long way in encouraging an inclusive workplace. It is thus relevant in managing workplace diversity and for creating a more inclusive environment.Social implicationsDiverse workplace constituting women and minority race have experienced more workplace incivility (Cameron and Webster, 2011). Also, presence of higher percentage of men in the workforce composition enhanced incivility toward women (Trudel and Reio, 2011). As the paper indicates that low incivility leads to general well-being, it also tries to point out that overall health of organization also improves. It should not be ignored that it is not only the employee who is exposed to incivility who gets affected but also the other employees who are witness to such situation.Originality/valueThis study investigates the mediating effect of civil behavior at the workplace between trust, both team member and leader, and general well-being.

Selective Incivility: Undermining Ambitions of Inclusion in Organizations

Subtle enough to fly under the radar of organizations, yet powerful enough to undermine ambitions of inclusion, selective incivility is a modern form of discrimination permeating contemporary workp...

Race and workplace discrimination

PurposeDrawing upon theories of modern discrimination, the present study focuses on cyber incivility and interpersonal incivility as mechanisms through which race leads to perceived discrimination. Participants included 408 full-time working adults who responded to an online survey. The results indicate that Non-White employees experience subtle forms of discrimination through the use of e-mail, which accentuate the need for organizations to eradicate workplace mistreatment so that their employees can avoid the adverse outcomes associated with experiencing cyber incivility. The purpose of this paper is to extend the understanding of selective incivility and concludes with directions for future research and practical implications.Design/methodology/approachParticipants included 408 full-time working adults who responded to the survey online.FindingsThe results indicate that race was indirectly associated with discrimination through cyber incivility. The results indicate that Non-White employees experience subtle forms of discrimination through the use of technology and cyber space which accentuate the need for organizations to eradicate workplace incivility so that their employees can evade the adverse outcomes associated with experiencing incivility at work.Research limitations/implicationsThis study extends the understanding of selective incivility and concludes with directions for future research and practical implications.Originality/valueThis paper is the first to explore the relationship between race, cyber incivility and discrimination.

Bro or Kook? The effect of dynamic member evaluation on incivility and resources in surf lineups

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to explore processes of group member evaluation and the interpersonal behavioral consequences of perceived group membership, within the context of a temporary group with evolving members.Design/methodology/approachBased on data from an autoethnographic study, the author investigates individual socialization into a new group, with a focus on how gender influences interpersonal evaluation processes. The author analyzes the interpersonal organizing behaviors of surf lineups, which are a male-dominated group that is continually socially constructed through changing membership.FindingsFindings support an association between denial of group membership and outcomes including incivility and denial of resources. The author develops a model of dynamic member evaluation, which identifies how group members continuously evaluate proximate individuals at the stage of impending membership, with identified outcomes of those evaluations.Research limitations/implicationsA limitation of this design is that it generalizes organizing processes from a non-traditional setting to more traditional organizations. The model predicts dynamic member evaluation as individuals organize into groups in a shifting environment, with implications for scholarship on intragroup dynamics, incivility, gender and inclusion.Practical implicationsUnderstanding dynamic member evaluation provides a path for aspiring or new group members to employ signaling behaviors, which can help to prevent incivility and enhance resource availability. Evidence suggests that the proactive act of signaling competence may help to foster inclusion at the stage of impending membership, which is particularly important given how impending member evaluation is subject to bias. Such understanding also raises the awareness of how majority group members can manage their evaluations and refrain from letting judgments of impending members impact interpersonal behaviors, which may prevent incivility.Social implicationsThe findings and resultant model illustrate the process and experience of group inclusion, showing how incivility can manifest and resources can be limited toward impending members who are excluded.Originality/valueThis study contributes to scholarship by introducing dynamic member evaluation, including the content and process of evaluation at the stage of impending membership, how resultant selective incivility can be predicted, and potential contagion effects of such incivility.

Incivility toward managers: gender differences in well-being outcomes

PurposeDrawing on selective incivility theory (Cortina, 2008) and the literature on gender and leadership (e.g. Vial et al., 2016), the purpose of this paper is to investigate well-being outcomes of often neglected targets of incivility – those who manage or lead the work of others. The authors examined links between managers’ experiences of incivility from those to whom they report and five well-being outcomes, controlling for co-worker and subordinate incivility.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a cross-sectional correlational design to test the hypotheses, with a sample of 50 employees (28 females, 22 males) who supervise, manage or lead the work of others.FindingsMale and female managers reported similar levels of incivility from subordinates and higher-ups; males reported greater incivility from co-workers. Significant interactions were also found: the relationship between incivility from those higher up and positive affect (high and low intensity) and perceived impact were significantly stronger for female (vs male) managers.Research limitations/implicationsWomen did not experience greater workplace incivility than men, albeit the two-week timeframe of measurement may be too short to capture differences. The authors did, however, find evidence that well-being implications of experienced incivility from those higher up are generally stronger for female leaders.Originality/valueThe study investigates multi-source incivility directed at those in leadership/managerial positions and contributes to a growing literature seeking to understand the experiences of women in these roles. Although women in management roles may experience similar levels of incivility as men, they may interpret the behavior in a more negative light, in line with the persistence of sexism in the workplace.

‘It’s Nothing Personal’: Anti-Homosexuality in the British Workplace

Scholarship on homophobia has been critiqued for being individualistic and psychological, failing to account for structural inequalities, experiences of homophobia and discursive manifestations of homophobia. This Economic and Social Research Council funded study attempts to address some of these concerns by focusing on the experiences of lesbians, gay men and bisexuals (LGBs) in relation to bullying, harassment and discrimination in the British workplace. We examine what homophobia is understood to be and how psychological and organisational discourses make it difficult to make sense of negative experiences and how anti-homosexual attitudes and work environments are sustained and left unchallenged through the claim ‘it’s not personal’. Drawing on theories of selective incivility and modern discrimination, we illustrate how ambiguous anti-homosexual sentiments are, and argue that the term ‘homophobia’ not only prevents people from challenging negative experiences, but it further masks inequalities based on sexuality at work.

Selective incivility: Immigrant groups experience subtle workplace discrimination at different rates.

Immigrants play an increasingly important role in local labor markets. Not only do they grow steadily in number but also in cultural, educational, and skill diversity, underlining the necessity to distinguish between immigrant groups when studying discrimination against immigrants. We examined immigrant employees' subtle discrimination experiences in a representative sample in Switzerland, controlling for dispositional influences. Results showed that mainly members of highly competitive immigrant groups, from immediate neighbor countries, experienced workplace incivility and that these incivility experiences were related to higher likelihoods of perceived discrimination at work. This research confirms recent accounts that successful but disliked groups are particularly likely to experience subtle interpersonal discrimination.