Uncivil Behavior Research Articles

Validity and Reliability Study of the Turkish Version of the "Uncivil Behavior in Clinical Nursing Education Scale" for Nursing Students.

Background and Purpose: Nursing undergraduate students may encounter unkind behaviors during their clinical education. This study aimed to test the psychometric properties of the Turkish version of the "Uncivil Behavior in Clinical Nursing Education (UBCNE) Questionnaire," which measures nursing students' perceived levels of uncivil behavior in the clinical learning environment. Methods: The study was conducted in four steps: translation, face and content validity, confirmatory factor analysis, and reliability assessment. Data were collected from 216 nursing students from Turkey. Results: In the exploratory factor analysis (EFA), a unidimensional factor structure with an eigenvalue above 1 was detected, and therefore the scale was analyzed as a single dimension. In the EFA with 13 items, the Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin value was 0.943, and the Barlett test result was 1862.965 (p <05). The fit indices for the class were calculated as χ2/df = 2.218, root-mean-square error of approximation = .075, and comparative fit index = 0.961. Cronbach's coefficient α (alpha) for Turkish culture was .942. Conclusion: The study showed that the Turkish version of the UBCNE scale is a valid and reliable measurement tool for assessing perceived incivil behaviours in nursing students' clinical education.

Unpacking the complexity of online incivility: an analysis of characteristics and impact of uncivil behavior during the Hong Kong protests

PurposeThis study seeks to establish a new framework for categorizing incivility, differentiating between explicit and implicit forms, and to investigate their respective abilities to proliferate and mobilize conversations, along with behavioral outcomes in various social contexts.Design/methodology/approachEmploying computational techniques, this research analyzed 10,145 protest-related threads from the HK Golden Forum, a prominent online discussion board in Hong Kong.FindingsOur analysis revealed divergent effects of explicit and implicit incivility on their diffusion, influences on deliberative discussions, and user participation. Explicit incivility was found to impede deliberative conversations, while implicit incivility tended to provoke more responses. Explicit uncivil expressions encouraged the propagation of incivility but reduced the likelihood of individual involvement. In contrast, implicit incivility had a stronger dampening effect on further uncivil comments and achieved greater thread popularity. The results showed strong associations between uncivil expressions and the contextual norms surrounding social movements.Originality/valueTheoretically, this research introduced a classification of incivility and underscored the importance of differentiating between implicit and explicit incivility by examining their effects on deliberation and engagement. Although previous studies have extensively covered explicit incivility, this study goes further by analyzing implicit incivility and comparing both forms of uncivil discourse in a less-studied context. Methodologically, the study developed a Cantonese dictionary to differentiate between two types of incivility, providing a practical reference for more nuanced analyses. By revealing how varying movement norms moderate the interplay between deliberative and uncivil expressions, the study drew attention to the highly situational nature of incivility.

Psychometric Properties and Measurement Equivalence of the Workplace Incivility Scale Across Cultures: Insights from Daily Diary Study.

Despite extensive research on workplace incivility, little attention has been given to its validation in culturally distinct contexts such as China and Pakistan. This study aims to bridge this gap by investigating the psychometric properties of the workplace incivility scale within these cultural frameworks. Additionally, it seeks to explore the cross-cultural measurement equivalence of the workplace incivility scale between these two diverse settings using a daily diary study design. The sample consisted of employees from service-providing organizations in China and Pakistan. Data was collected through snowball sampling, resulting in responses from 100 Chinese and 115 Pakistani employees over 10 consecutive workdays. Analysis of the daily responses, encompassing 748 from Chinese and 833 from Pakistani workers, indicated successful validation of the scale within both populations. This demonstrates the transferability of the concept of incivility to these cultural contexts. An integral aspect of this study is the consideration of potential cultural variations in workplace uncivil behavior. The validation and measurement equivalence of the scale for the core construct serves as essential infrastructure supporting such research endeavors.

How online inhibition fuels incivility through moral disengagement

This study aimed to investigate the mediating role of moral disengagement in the link between online disinhibition and cyber incivility, against the backdrop of digital technology’s profound impact on human communication and the emergence of online communities. This transformation has highlighted a range of behaviors, including the negative spectrum of cyber incivility, necessitating an exploration of its underlying dynamics. Utilizing a mediation analysis approach, the research examined the interplay among online disinhibition, moral disengagement, and cyber incivility. The participant consisted of 780 Indonesian students, with an average age of 20.3 years, who reported spending 4-7 hours daily on social media. The study was conducted via an online survey distributed to participants. Moral disengagement was assessed using a Moral Disengagement Scale, cyber incivility was measured with a purpose-built scale, and online disinhibition was evaluated using the Online Disinhibition Scale to measure levels of online disinhibition. Findings indicated a significant correlation among the variables, with a substantial portion of participants exhibiting moderate to high levels of online disinhibition, moral disengagement, and cyber incivility. Mediation analysis further revealed that online disinhibition mediated the relationship between moral disengagement and cyber incivility, suggesting that the lowering of inhibitions online facilitates the manifestation of uncivil behavior, influenced by moral disengagement. This study underscores the complex mechanisms driving cyber incivility, highlighting the crucial mediating role of online disinhibition between moral disengagement and cyber incivility. These insights contribute to the broader understanding of digital communication’s impact on behavior, emphasizing the need to address online disinhibition and moral disengagement to mitigate cyber incivility.

Examining the escalation of hostility in social media: a comparative analysis of online incivility in China and the United States regarding the Russia–Ukraine war

Abstract Purpose This study examines and compares online incivility on China’s Weibo and the U.S.’s X (Twitter) amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict, aiming to unravel how different cultural and geopolitical contexts influence online incivility and identify factors that may influence the occurrence of online incivility in different national contexts. Design/methodology This study collected and analyzed over 80,000 social media posts concerning the Russia-Ukraine conflict. By employing machine learning methods and moderation tests, this study compares online incivility in different country contexts. Findings Twitter and Weibo show different level of online incivility across eight months in the discussion of Russia-Ukraine war. Conflict frame and negative sentiment both positively predict online incivility on Twitter and Weibo and these two factors both show higher prediction power on Twitter than on Weibo. Practical implication This study highlights the necessity for platforms like X (Twitter) and Weibo to refine their moderation systems to address the predictors of online incivility, particularly negative sentiment and conflict framing. Social implication This study provides evidence that cultural differences significantly impact online communication patterns and norms. It also finds that non-anonymous users might exhibit more uncivil behavior in politically charged discussions, seeking social approval. Originality/value This research is one of the few studies to compare online incivility and its impact factors between China and the United States social media platforms. It shows how cultural differences influence the prevalence and predictors of online incivility and distinguishes the roles of negative sentiment and conflict framing in fostering incivility, with novel findings that challenge conventional beliefs about the impact of user anonymity on online discourse.

How disinhibition explains reward omission leadership

Disinhibition is a lack of restraint manifesting as tactless, uncivil, and inappropriate behavior; reward omission leadership is the failure of a leader to reward desirable behavior. We hypothesize disinhibition is associated with reward omission leadership. We test this possibility by associating an objective measure of disinhibition and personality models of disinhibition with reward omission leadership. In S1 ( N = 166), the go/no-go task and personality models of disinhibition were generally associated with reward omission leadership. In S2 ( N = 176), using multi-actor ratings, personality models of disinhibition were generally associated with reward omission leadership. In S3 ( N = 91 junior managers; 273 employees), the tested personality model of disinhibition was associated with reward omission leadership using employee ratings from a non-Western organization. Results suggest disinhibition predicts reward omission leadership and sheds light on what is meant by disinhibition. JEL Classification: D23

Building Confidence, Diminishing Stress: A Clinical Incivility Management Initiative for Nursing Students.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an interactive program designed to reduce nursing students' perceived stress and improve self-efficacy and readiness to professionally address incivility during clinical practice. Incivility in clinical settings adversely impacts learners, educators, institutions, and healthcare systems, undermining safety and the teaching-learning process. Despite its increasing global prevalence, effective interventions remain largely unexplored. Our mixed-methods study, conducted from March to April 2024, involved senior baccalaureate pre-licensure nursing students (N = 35) from a California State University. The three-week, one-hour-per-week, interactive clinical incivility management program was developed through an extensive literature review. Pre- and post-intervention differences were assessed using a 10 min self-administered online survey that included the Uncivil Behavior in Clinical Nursing Education (UBCNE; 12 items), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS; 10 items), General Self-Efficacy Scale (GSE; 10 items), and a sample characteristics questionnaire (11 items). A one-hour face-to-face focus group (n = 11) then provided qualitative data on personal experiences of clinical incivility. Quantitative data were analyzed using SPSS version 27, while qualitative data were analyzed using Colaizzi's method. Clinical incivility prevalence was 71.4% (n = 25 out of 35). No statistically significant differences were found in UBCNE, PSS, and GSE scores between pre- and post-intervention. However, professional responses to clinical incivility significantly improved after the intervention (t = -12.907, p < 0.001). Four themes emerged from the qualitative data: (a) uncivil behaviors or language from nurses, (b) emotional discouragement and low self-confidence, (c) resource and personnel shortages at clinical sites for education, and (d) the necessity for interventions to manage clinical incivility. Nursing schools and clinical agencies should collaborate to establish monitoring systems, enhance communication, and implement evidence-based policies and interactive interventions to prevent and manage clinical incivility experienced by nursing students from clinical sites.

Managing uncivil behaviour in the workplace.

Incivility is a major concern in healthcare, and it is vital that uncivil behaviour is recognised and addressed. Manifestations of incivility are wide ranging and can take the form of microaggressions, which are difficult to pinpoint but have significant repercussions. Research has demonstrated the negative effects of incivility on staff and patients. Uncivil acts and behaviour can create conflict, reduce performance, affect morale, decrease retention and jeopardise patient safety. The role of nurse managers in reducing incivility and promoting civility includes providing leadership, fostering psychological safety, creating a shared understanding of civil behaviour and managing uncivil behaviour as soon as it occurs. The input of employers is crucial to promote a compassionate and inclusive organisational culture and to support nurse managers to acquire the knowledge, skills and confidence to prevent and reduce incivility.

Citizens as Co-producers of Public Service Culture: How Citizen Incivility Affects Public Employee Motivations to Stay and Serve

While public administration ethics literature has accumulated a significant amount of knowledge on how to promote public service culture steeped in ethics, the primary focus of the scholarly discussion has long been on the importance of developing ethics among public employees and in their organizations. Based on the premise that citizens are co-producers of the public service culture, this study turns attention to citizens and their commitment to ethical values when interacting with public employees. Specifically, this study examines how citizen incivility influences public employee work attitudes, particularly public employee turnover intention and their desire to serve the public. The analyses were conducted using survey data collected from Korean public employees. The findings suggest that citizen incivility is negatively associated with public employees’ motivation to serve the public (i.e., public service motivation), that citizen incivility is positively associated with public employee intention to leave their jobs, and that the relationship between uncivil citizen behaviors and public employee turnover intention is partially mediated through public service motivation.

The Relationship between Employee Power Trait and Instigated Workplace Incivility: Does Organizational Tenure Moderate the Effect?

This study builds upon the approach-inhibition theory of power to examine the relationship between an individual’s power trait and instigated workplace incivility. This also proposes that organizational tenure mitigates the likelihood of incivility instigation towards peers by individuals possessing a power trait. To investigate these dynamics, a time-lagged multi-sourced survey involving 175 participants from diverse Pakistani service sector organizations was conducted. Our findings indicate that employee power traits significantly contribute to instigated workplace incivility. Furthermore, organizational tenure serves as a moderator in this relationship where individuals with high-power traits and shorter organizational tenure exhibit a heightened propensity for instigating uncivil behaviors.

Somebody do something: coexisting with social transgression on the metro

ABSTRACT Several factors decrease metro riders’ satisfaction, well-being, and willingness to use the metro. However, little attention has focused on the problems caused by social transgression and uncivilized behavior. Hence, the objectives of this study were to analyze the impact of norm transgression and uncivil behavior on coexistence among passengers and the emotional climate on the metro and to assess the social control exerted by passengers. We also explored whether the perception of social control changed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sample was composed of 357 passengers of the Buenos Aires metro. An online self-administered questionnaire was designed to collect the data. Path analysis results showed that beliefs about norms and the ease with which passengers break the norm of silence promote active social control. In contrast, the difficulty of breaking the norm of silence and the perception of public alienation lead to inactive social control.

The Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality on Nursing Student Anxiety.

High levels of stress are common for nursing students and can lead to poor health, poor school performance, and uncivil behavior. This pilot study aimed to evaluate the effects of an immersive virtual reality (IVR) relaxation experience on perceived anxiety among prelicensure nursing students. A convenience sample of 20 baccalaureate students participated in an IVR meditation session. Participants recorded pre and post anxiety levels, blood pressure, and heart rates. Results indicated reduced anxiety levels in students who used IVR relaxation. Students' heart rates and blood pressures decreased significantly.

Take the bull by the horns! The role of spiritual leadership and dark triad toward workplace incivility

PurposeWorkplace incivility has become a global issue; therefore, this study aims to investigate how spiritual leadership can help employees to overcome uncivil behaviors in the workplace. Specifically, the authors explored the mediating mechanism between spiritual leadership and workplace incivility through workplace spirituality. The authors further examined how negative personalities (i.e. Machiavellianism, psychopathy and narcissism) moderate workplace spirituality and workplace incivility.Design/methodology/approachThis study collected data from 369 employees working in the banking sector on a convenience basis. The authors applied structural equation modeling for hypotheses testing.FindingsThe authors noted that spiritual leaders help employees to reduce uncivil workplace behaviors and employees’ perception of workplace spirituality intervenes the same. The authors further identified that the negative association between workplace spirituality and workplace incivility is moderated by the dark triad (Machiavellianism, psychopathy and narcissism) such that individuals high in Machiavellianism, psychopathy and narcissism weaken this negative association.Research limitations/implicationsThe cross-sectional design may restrict causality. However, our findings not only contribute to social cognitive theory but also suggest management includes civility intervention as an essential part of organizations’ training and development.Originality/valueThis study not only highlighted the role of spiritual leadership and workplace spirituality toward workplace incivility but also shed light on how negative personalities can ignore workplace spirituality to exhibit uncivil behavior.

Restoring Human Dignity: Exploring Restorative Practices to Address Workplace Incivility Among Indian Professionals

Human dignity is an absolute inner value possessed by all humans. In the workplace, due to the prevalence of negative behaviors, human dignity often becomes a target for erosion. Accordingly, the author argues that human dignity is the most profoundly affected aspect amidst all the resulting consequences. Through in-depth interviews with 18 working professionals who have experienced the impact of uncivil behavior from superiors, peers, and subordinates, this paper demonstrates how they have employed the strategy of passive resistance responses as a means to restitute their dignity. The restoration of dignity has, in turn, been shown to significantly enhance their overall wellbeing. On the theoretical front, this paper introduces the concept of 'dignity defense' as a central theme, which has enabled them to adopt a wide range of passive resistance mechanisms – ranging from temporal deflection, delayed responses, reflective pauses, competence building, the use of humour, knowledge gathering, diplomatic inquiry, to evidence-based communication. Overall, this study distinguishes passive resistance responses from active confrontational responses and theoretically anchors passive resistance responses within the context of Eastern and Western philosophies.

Dehumanization of Uncivil Behaviors: Insights into Lack of Humanness and Racial Belonging

Humans are social creatures who need to respect certain norms and practice social responsibility for the well-being of everyone, but many people transgress these norms. Behaving uncivilly may lead to the transgressor being seen as someone unable to live in society and not as human as others. However, not all transgressors are perceived and evaluated equally. The purpose of this research was to verify the relationship between incivility and lack of humanness, and identify how racial belonging influences the perception of uncivil transgressors. In three studies (N = 450), we wanted to confirm the association between (in)civility with blatant and covert dehumanization and explore how the racial belonging of uncivil agents may affect the way they are perceived. Results show that the agents who behave uncivilly are dehumanized blatantly and covertly (Study 1). Additionally, White uncivil agents are perceived and evaluated more harshly than Black uncivil agents by people of their same racial group (Study 2a). Additionally, Black uncivil agents were dehumanized less than White uncivil agents by people of their same racial group (Study 2b). Our findings confirm the relationship between incivility and lack of humanness and show a racial bias is present in the application of social norms.

Not all uncivil behaviours are equal: exploring responses to incivility in veterinary practice using vignettes

Workplace incivility is considered a common workplace stressor, linked to a range of adverse impacts such as reduced wellbeing. However, there is a lack of research focused on how targets of incivility respond. The current study addresses that gap by examining responses to incivility within veterinary practice. Veterinarians and veterinary nurses (n = 132) evaluated six scenarios depicting two types of incivility (direct e.g. demeaning comments/indirect, for example, ignoring someone) across three instigators (clients, co-workers, senior colleagues), reporting their perception and appraisal of the uncivil behaviour depicted along with potential responses. Direct incivility was linked to responses such as reciprocation, exit, and support seeking, whereas indirect incivility was associated with affiliative and ignoring responses. Negative appraisal of incivility predicted a higher likelihood of exit, avoidance, support seeking and reporting responses. These findings suggest that incivility targets utilise a broad range of response options and adapt their response dependent on the situation.

Workaholism and workplace incivility: a moderated dual-process model

Despite the ubiquity of workaholism and workplace incivility, extant research lacks sufficient empirical support on the underlying mechanisms between them, which hinders curtailing the uncivil behavior of workaholics. To systematically investigate the underlying mechanisms, we proposed two mediators: emotional exhaustion and psychological entitlement. The former illustrates why workaholics engage in uncivil behaviors uncontrollably from the existing conservation of resources perspective, which captures the behavioral dimension of workaholism. The latter explains why workaholics engage in workplace incivility voluntarily from a novel moral licensing perspective, which captures the overlooked cognitive dimension of workaholism. Further, we incorporate supervisor-subordinate guanxi as a critical moderator that helps differentiate the above two mediators. Results across two studies suggested that supervisor-subordinate guanxi alleviates the indirect effects of workaholism on workplace incivility via emotional exhaustion, while magnifying the indirect effects via psychological entitlement. Overall, these findings provide evidence that workaholism can also psychologically free employees to engage in subsequent uncivil behaviors.

Bearing the brunt: a daily diary examination of abusive supervision and the sustaining role of coworkers’ support

PurposeThis study aims to examine the relationship between abusive supervision and workplace incivility using a dual theoretical framework. First, it draws on the ego depletion theory to investigate the relationship between abusive supervision and incivility by exploring the mediating role of ego depletion. Second, it integrates the job demands–resources model with the ego depletion theory to examine how perceived co-workers’ support functions as a buffer in mitigating the effects of ego depletion on incivility.Design/methodology/approachThe authors tested our moderated mediation model using hierarchical linear modeling through an experience-sampling study based on data collected from a participants across five consecutive workdays.FindingsThe findings reveal employees subjected to abusive supervision are more likely to experience a depletion of self-regulatory resources. Moreover, the authors found a positive association between ego depletion and workplace incivility, suggesting that diminished self-control resulting from abusive supervision contributes to a higher likelihood of engaging in uncivil workplace behaviors. In addition, perceived coworkers’ support emerged as a significant moderating factor that attenuates the indirect impact of abusive supervision on workplace incivility through ego depletion. Specifically, when perceived coworkers’ support is high, the negative influence of abusive supervision on ego depletion, and subsequently, on workplace incivility, is mitigated.Originality/valueBy exploring ego depletion as the underlying mechanism and boundary conditions imposed by perceived coworker support on the relationship between abusive supervision and workplace incivility, this research contributes to a nuanced understanding of the intricate dynamics of this relationship. Based on the research findings, the authors advocate that organizations should establish and integrate support services, such as counseling and employee assistance programs, to reduce the emotional turmoil caused by abusive supervision.

Faculty incivility in nursing education: A cross-sectional analysis through student experiences

BackgroundIncivility, including that of nursing educators, is well documented in Western culture. Few recent international studies were conducted about nursing educators' incivility in nursing education. Research on nursing educators' incivility in nursing education is lacking in many developing countries. AimThis study examined Jordanian nursing students' reporting their nursing educators' incivility in nursing education and their differences based on the sample's demographics. MethodsA cross-sectional quantitative approach was employed to gather data through an online survey, drawing upon a convenience sample comprising 115 nursing students enrolled across various governmental and private universities. ResultsNursing educators' incivility in nursing education and its frequency were moderate. The highest-ranked nursing educators’ incivility behavior reported by nursing students was “unfair grading.” The highest-ranked reported "often" nursing educators’ incivility in the past 12 months was “being unavailable outside of class.” No statistically significant difference between the grouped median of nursing educators’ incivility in nursing education. The nursing educators’ level of civility was moderate. The best strategy to promote nursing educators’ civility in nursing education was “role-mode professionalism and civility.” ConclusionsThe nursing students had a positive sense of their nursing educators’ civility. Nursing educators are critical in fostering civil behavior among their nursing students and avoiding the growing tendency of uncivil behavior in nursing academic settings. Thus, nursing educators should not act uncivilly under any circumstances.

Are we there yet? A nationwide study of faculty-to-faculty bullying and incivility in nursing education

BackgroundFaculty-to-faculty bullying and incivility in nursing education remain prevalent. The effects are harmful to individual faculty members, and they weaken the organization. AimThe study aimed to measure faculty perceptions of bullying and incivility within their organization and identify the most commonly occurring bullying behaviors and types of incivility. The survey instruments were the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (NAQ-R) and the Workplace Incivility/Civility Scale (WICS). This is the first known national study to use both. MethodsThe study used a convergent mixed-method design and a convenience sample. ResultsThere were 1,417 responses from nursing faculty from every state and the territory of Guam. The most frequently occurring bullying behavior was being ignored, while the most frequent uncivil behavior was being interrupted. The incidence of faculty-to-faculty bullying and incivility was lower in this study than in previous studies. However, despite the slight decrease, verbatim responses in the qualitative portion of the study reveal that mean-spirited, petty, and vitriolic remarks occur frequently.