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Management scholars have examined various kinds of workplace mistreatment. These investigations and empirical summaries of the literature show that personal experience of mistreatment at work creates a variety of deleterious problems such as more negative job attitudes, lower performance, and poorer health. The bulk of the literature assumes that the key cause-effect relationship resides at the individual level. However, individuals do not experience mistreatment in a vacuum, but rather in a complex social environment that shapes interpretations of, and reactions to, individual mistreatment. In this integrative review, we depart from prior reviews that focus primarily on personal experiences of mistreatment and instead evaluate the literature on mistreatment in the context of others' negative experiences. Analyzing 64 empirical articles on own and others' mistreatment at work, we identify six key theoretical perspectives concerning how others' experiences shape individual reactions to mistreatment. We then develop a sensemaking and social information processing framework for understanding mistreatment in context. We conclude the article by discussing theoretical and methodological recommendations for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although almost all employees have heard of or witnessed colleagues being mistreated, we have an incomplete understanding of how employees perceive and respond to such events. In previous research scholars established that observer emotions can be congruent with victim emotions, but we examine observer schadenfreude, an incongruent emotion that is also prevalent in organizations. Based on appraisal theories of emotion, we propose a process model of schadenfreude emergence and development: initial schadenfreude occurs when observers appraise mistreatment incidents as relevant and conducive to their goals; this initial feeling evolves into either righteous or ambivalent schadenfreude, depending on observers' secondary appraisals of victim deservingness. We also address the implications of schadenfreude for observer behavior and the moderating effects of observers' moral foundations and organizational civility climate. Our model extends current knowledge about observer reactions and helps us understand the persistence and pervasiveness of workplace mistreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management scholars view workplace spirituality as an effective means of improving employee well-being and organizational productivity. However, a spiritual work environment may also be beneficial for controlling employees' experiences of uncivil behaviors in the workplace. Drawing on conservation of resources theory and cognitive appraisal theory, we proposed and explored the linkage between workplace spirituality and incivility experienced from supervisors and colleagues in the workspace. We also investigated the moderating effect of the dark triad on the relationship. The data collected from two different samples (Sample 1—Banking industry, N = 225, and Sample 2—Information Technology (IT) industry, N = 220) provided support for our hypotheses. In both studies, we found a significant negative correlation between workplace spirituality and incivility experienced from the two sources (supervisors and colleagues). While only psychopathy moderated the linkage between workplace spirituality and supervisor incivility in Sample 1, the moderation effect of all three dark traits was significant in case of colleague incivility. In Sample 2, each member of the dark triad moderated the association between workplace spirituality and incivility experienced from seniors and peers. The findings provided support for the cognitive appraisal theory by explaining how the practice of workplace spirituality alters employees' perceptions of uncivil behaviors shown by their superiors and peers. The study makes a significant contribution to theory, research, and practice by presenting workplace spirituality as a solution to the ever-rising epidemic of incivility in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article explores the principles followed by the Utah Supreme Court in achieving an atmosphere of mutual respect and affection amid fierce legal debates based on the court's panel discussion and follow-up interviews with its members. Topics include how the principles can be applied to better the legal profession as well as secure liberty, the results of disagreements among justices, and the interrelatedness of the cause of truth and civility according to Chief Justice Matthew Durrant.

The article reevaluates the use of and assumptions on generational labels in the legal profession and calls for ways to phase out these labels in order to keep civility and professionalism. Arguments discussed are illegitimacy of generational labels due to absence of demographic reasoning and changing generational groupings, fallacious and over-generalized stereotypes associated with generational labels, and lack of discernible value of generational beliefs used among peers or in the workplace.

We present a self-enhancement model of workplace incivility to account for the effects of exposure to incivility on task performance. In particular, we predict that workplace incivility thwarts the ability to self-enhance at work, resulting in employees' divesting their sense of self from work via disengagement processes. Maintaining high levels of task performance subsequently ceases to be a source of self-enhancement for employees who have disengaged their sense of self from work. We also examined the extent to which the desire for self-enhancement (i.e., narcissism) moderated the effect of incivility on engagement. Using two sets of multiwave, multisource data collected in China, our results provide full support for our hypotheses and provide new theoretical directions for incivility research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the 12th survey by the American Bar Association's (ABA) Corporate Compliance Committee on the legal developments in corporate compliance and ethics programs. Other topics include the guidance issued by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), the employer policy approach developed by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) on workplace civility rules and confidentiality of workplace probes, as well as sexual harassment prevention.

We argue that Confucianism makes a fundamental contribution to understanding why civility is necessary for a morally decent workplace. We begin by reviewing some limits that traditional moral theories face in analyzing issues of civility. We then seek to establish a Confucian alternative. We develop the Confucian idea that even in business, humans may be sacred when they observe rituals culturally determined to express particular ceremonial significance. We conclude that managers and workers should understand that there is a broad range of morally important rituals in organizational life and that managers should preserve and develop the intelligibility and integrity of many of these rituals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of research on the effect which instances of incivility between employees can have on the company's image in the opinion of consumers who witness such behavior. An overview of related previous studies is provided, along with details of the research protocol. It was found that consumers who observe one employee displaying a lack of civility toward another tended to make general and negative assumptions about the firm's other employees, the company as a whole, and their likely future customer experiences.

This article advances a theory of incivility as a veiled manifestation of sexism and racism in organizations. To support this argument, I draw from social psychological research on modern discrimination. The result is a multilevel model of selective incivility, with determinants at the level of the person, organization, and society. Selective incivility could be one mechanism by which gender and racial disparities persist in American organizations, despite concerted efforts to eradicate bias. I discuss scientific and practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In three experimental studies, we provided an empirical test of how rudeness affects task performance and helpfulness. Different forms of rudeness--rudeness instigated by a direct authority figure, rudeness delivered by a third party, and imagined rudeness--converged to produce the same effects. Results from these studies showed that rudeness reduced performance on routine tasks as well as on creative tasks. We also found that rude behavior decreased helpfulness. We examined the processes that mediated the rudeness-performance relationship and found evidence that disruption to cognitive processes fully mediated that relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a theoretical model of contextualized anger expression to challenge prominent antisocial, aggression, and individual actor perspectives reflected in the current literature, and we assert that organizational observers' judgments and reactions help determine whether anger results in more negative or positive outcomes. The dual threshold model includes an expression threshold, which is crossed when individuals communicate rather than suppress anger, and an impropriety threshold, which is crossed if expressed anger violates organizational emotion display norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I conceptualize sex-based harassment as behavior that derogates an individual based on sex. I propose that sex-based harassment is fundamentally motivated by the harasser's desire to protect or enhance his or her own sex-based status, a desire that stems from the fact that social status is stratified by a system of gender hierarchy. This theory explains currently identified forms of sexual harassment and predicts others, including nonsexual harassment between women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

I introduce the construct of threat regulation as an agentic interpersonal process for building and maintaining trust. I examine threat regulation as a specific dimension of interpersonal emotion management that fosters trust and effective cooperation by allowing individuals to understand and mitigate the harm that their counterparts associate with cooperating--in particular, harm from opportunism, identity damage, and neglect of their interests. To explicate the microprocesses of threat regulation, I draw on social cognitive theory, symbolic interactionism, and the psychology of emotion regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current two-sample investigation explores the role of enactment as a boundary condition in the relationship between experienced incivility and workplace outcomes (i.e., job satisfaction, organizational citizenship behavior [OCB], and turnover intent). We integrate the tenets of the transactional model of stress and sensemaking theory to explain why enactment is a psychological sensemaking capability that can neutralize the adverse effects of experienced incivility on workplace outcomes. The results across two samples of data (nSample 1 = 156; nSample 2 = 620) supported the study hypotheses by demonstrating that experienced incivility had stronger adverse effects on employees' job satisfaction, OCBs, and turnover intent for employees who reported lower levels of enactment than employees who reported higher levels of enactment. This study's results make three important contributions to theory and research. First, we make an empirical contribution by examining enactment as a psychological sensemaking capability that can neutralize the adverse effects of experienced incivility on workplace outcomes. Second, we make a theoretical contribution by integrating the tenets of the transactional model of stress and sensemaking theory in a novel way that explains why enactment is a psychological sensemaking capability that can neutralize the adverse effects of stress on strain. Third, we demonstrate that enactment is the boundary condition that explains why incivility does not have universally adverse effects on employees' outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have called for research on the antecedents of mistreatment in organizations such as workplace incivility, as well as the theoretical mechanisms that explain their linkage. To address this call, the present study draws upon social information processing and social cognitive theories to investigate the relationship between positive leader behaviors—those associated with charismatic leadership and ethical leadership—and workers’ experiences of workplace incivility through their perceptions of norms for respect. Relationships were separately examined in two field studies using multi-source data (employees and coworkers in study 1, employees and supervisors in study 2). Results suggest that charismatic leadership (study 1) and ethical leadership (study 2) are negatively related to employee experiences of workplace incivility through employee perceptions of norms for respect. Norms for respect appear to operate as a mediating mechanism through which positive forms of leadership may negatively relate to workplace incivility. The paper concludes with a discussion of implications for organizations regarding leader behaviors that foster norms for respect and curb uncivil behaviors at work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

El artículo presenta una sociopedagogical enfoque utilizado en la promoción de la salud social en México. Diversos factores que pueden ser utilizados en la medición de los equilibrios incluyen la equidad generacional, la desigualdad socioeconómica y pluridad social. Otros temas discutidos incluyen la ley y la filosofía de la salud social y civilidad en empresas comerciales.

Thriving at work is an emerging phenomenon in recent times, which is defined as a psychological state in which individuals experience both the senses of vitality and learning. Researchers and practitioners are looking for ways to enhance the employee's thriving at work, because it is associated with behavioral outcomes. The objective of this study is to empirically investigate the impact of contextual factors including organizational support, fairness perception, supervisor support, and civility at workplace on the employee's thriving at work. Furthermore, it also looks upon the impact of individual differences like proactive personality on the employee's thriving. The empirical findings have been drawn through a survey questionnaire using purposive sampling technique from employees of different organizations. The study discusses the results and draws several insights on the employee's thriving at the workplace. The study also provides implication for theory and practice. Limitations and future research directions have also been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incivility from sources outside the organization (e.g., customers, patients) is increasingly recognized as an important workplace stressor, having been linked to a variety of negative outcomes. It is therefore becoming more important to understand not only the negative effects of outsider incivility, but also potential buffers of these negative effects. As such, the current study sought to explore the impact of outsider incivility directed towards emergency workers (called “victim” incivility) and to identify and test potential positive psychological buffers of the relationship between victim incivility and burnout, physical symptoms and objective absenteeism. Specifically, utilizing a resource perspective, we sought to determine whether work engagement and empathy buffered these negative effects. Survey data from 208 firefighters at two time points showed that victim incivility predicted burnout, physical symptoms and absenteeism, and that both engagement and empathy ameliorated some negative outcomes of victim incivility, including burnout and physical symptoms. Theoretical and practical implications of the research are discussed and areas for future research are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cross-cultural research shows that while the concerns about organizational justice may be universal, operationalization of justice standards is highly particularistic (Greenberg 2001). The present study explores the dimensionality of organizational justice in the Indian context. Apart from procedural justice, interpersonal justice and informational justice, another justice dimension, labelled as empowerment justice, emerged during the study. Next, the study tests the relationships between justice dimensions and Organ's (1988) 5-factor conceptualization of organizational citizenship behaviour (OCB), namely helping, compliance, sportsmanship, courtesy and civic virtue behaviours. The perception of empowerment justice influences helping, compliance, sportsmanship, and civic virtue dimensions of OCB. Interpersonal justice significantly predicts courtesy behaviour. Implications for theory and practice are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using appraisal theory, this research examined targets' emotional responses to workplace incivility, and how these responses impact targets' behavioral responses. Targets who reported greater incivility reported greater anger, fear, and sadness. Targets' anger was associated with more direct aggression against the instigators; targets' fear was associated with indirect aggression against instigators, absenteeism, and exit; and targets' sadness was associated with absenteeism. Status moderated the effects of fear and sadness. Our results underscore the need for organizations to manage civility so that they and their employees can avoid substantial direct and indirect costs associated with workplace incivility. At a broader level, our results suggest the importance of developing greater awareness about the harmful effects of fear and sadness in the workplace. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This paper explores the "Western" concept of psychological capital in the People's Republic of China (PRC) and highlights critical areas of divergence and notable dimensions of similarity. Design/methodology/approach – This is an empirical study conducted in a wide range of Chinese organisational forms, employing an inductive approach based on critical incident technique. Findings – This research showed that the concept of psychological capital appears to have a degree of applicability and salience in China. A series of dimensions common in Western organisations were found in our research, including Optimism, Creativity, Resiliency, Self-confidence, Forgiveness and Gratitude, Courage and Ambition (Hope). These were found to be common types of psychological capital both in China and in the West. However, the dimensions of Courtesy and Humility (Qian-gong-you-li in Chinese), Self-possession and Sincerity fell into the "different" category. Originality/value – This paper is a first attempt to examine psychological capital in a range of organisational forms and industrial sectors in China using a grounded theory approach. It not only reports various dimensions of Chinese psychological capital, some unique to this research, but also compares and contrasts these dimensions between China and the West, highlighting further research opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptive performance is a facet of performance that reflects acquiring enhanced competencies in response to change. Micro-level researchers have assumed that adaptive performance is beneficial for task performance. Similarly, macro-level researchers have suggested that organizations need to attend to, monitor, and respond to contingencies in their environments for adaptive performance to be beneficial for firm performance. Drawing from the attention-based theory of the firm and resource theory, we suggest that perceptions of organizational politics and individual differences in conscientiousness constitute contingencies of the adaptive performance-task performance relationship. In a sample of 92 call center employees, we found that adaptive performance is positively associated with task performance but that conscientiousness and organizational politics jointly influence the adaptive performance-task performance relationship. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although all human relationships are believed to generally adhere to the basic tenets of social exchange theory, recent research suggests that exchange processes may vary as a function of individual differences. We tested this possibility by examining whether the effects of uncivil workplace exchanges on employee attitudes and behavior were moderated by conscientiousness. Using matched data from 190 job incumbents and their supervisors, we found (i) the effect of workplace incivility on citizenship performance to be transmitted through affective commitment and (ii) the strength of this effect to depend on individual differences in conscientiousness. As such, the overall pattern of relationships supported moderated mediation, in that, the indirect effect of workplace incivility on citizenship performance through affective commitment was stronger for individuals high (as compared with those low) in conscientiousness. These findings broaden the focus of prior research by illustrating that, in addition to the mediating effects of cognitive and stress-based factors, social exchange processes are important for understanding incivility's adverse effects on citizenship performance and that such exchanges are moderated by individual differences in conscientiousness. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One of the examples of behavioral patterns of employees is positive extra role behaviors. The purpose of this study is to determine the direct and indirect effects of contextual and attitudinal factors by focusing on organizational citizenship, which is one of those behaviors. The data which were collected from 384 employees of a private bank by using a survey form including Organizational Citizenship Behaviors Scale, Organizational Culture Scale and Organizational Commitment Scale were analyzed with structural equation modeling technique. The findings of this study indicate that the clan and development tendencies predict conscientiousness and courtesy, and the development tendency predicts sportsmanship and civic virtue behaviors of the employees' extra role behaviors. Moreover organizational commitment has a partial mediator role in all these processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Problem.Employee engagement strategies are widely applied in practice, yet the construct remains underdeveloped in the human resource development (HRD) literature. This underdevelopment in the HRD scholarly community, combined with high levels of interest in the HRD practitioner community, highlights the need for closing the gap in theory, scholarship, and practice. To develop and support possible engagement-related interventions, HRD researchers and practitioners must be at the forefront of the emerging engagement conversation.The Solution.This article provides a definition and framework of employee engagement within the context of HRD, specifically in the areas of theory, scholarship, and practice. In addition, this article provides an overview of articles related to the latest thinking, research, and strategy development for generating employee engagement in practice found within this special issue.The Stakeholders.The intended audience for this article includes HRD scholars, scholar-practitioners, and practitioners interested in the development and use of employee engagement as an organizational performance and workplace culture -building strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Problem.This study investigated the frequency with which employees (N = 272) in a computer sciences company in the United States were the target of supervisor and coworker incivility as well as the link between this incivility and worker engagement. Participants completed a paper-and-pencil survey consisting of the Workplace Engagement Scale (Shuck) and modified versions of the Workplace Incivility Scale (Cortina, Magley, Williams, & Langhout).The Solution.Results indicated that 78% of the participants had experienced supervisor incivility and 81% had experienced coworker incivility during the past year. MANOVA analysis revealed that females had experienced more coworker incivility and males had experienced more supervisor incivility. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that after controlling for gender and age, both incivility variables were negative predictors of safety and availability engagement. Specifically, coworker incivility more powerfully predicted safety engagement whereas supervisor incivility was more closely linked with availability engagement. Recommendations for HRD research and practice are discussed.The Stakeholders.Stakeholders include workplace supervisors/managers, HRD professionals, HR managers, organizational leaders, and employees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides a commentary on the article "The Obligation of Lawyers to Heal Civic Culture: Confronting the Ordeal of Incivility in the Practice of Law" by Russell G. Pearce and Eli Wald which is published in the September 1, 2011 issue of this journal. The author argues that the issues of civility and incivility are very different and should not treated as one. He also argues that the influence of self-interest is not as pervasive as Pearce and Wald describe it.

The article discusses the implied obligation of attorneys to promote civility and conduct themselves in a more professional manner in the wake of the shooting of U.S. Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in January 2001. It states that the legal profession has suffered from a lack of professionalism since the 1980s. The role of relational self-interest is examined in terms of attorneys, clients, and the public.

This study investigates whether the altruism and courtesy dimensions of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCB) regulate mood at work. Social psychological theories of mood regulation suggest helping behaviors can improve individuals' moods because helping others provides gratification and directs attention away from one's negative mood. We capture mood states prior to and following the enactment of OCBs using experience sampling methodology in a sample of managerial and professional employees over a 3-week period. Results suggest altruism shows a pattern consistent with mood regulation; negative moods during the prior time period are associated with altruism and positive moods in the subsequent time period. The pattern of results for courtesy behaviors is only partially consistent with a mood regulation explanation. Consistent with theories of behavioral concordance, interaction results suggest individuals higher on Extroversion have more intense positive mood reactions after engaging in altruistic behaviors. Interactions with courtesy were not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine organizational trust as a mediator of the relationship between workgroup incivility and work outcomes, and whether workgroup regard moderates this mediation. Participants included 90 (61% female, 79% White) employees of a property-management company who completed measures of workgroup incivility, group regard, organizational trust, job satisfaction, turnover intention, and job burnout. The results showed that trust mediated the relationship between incivility and all 3 work outcomes, and that regard for the workgroup moderated this process. Employees with lower group regard reported less organizational trust when they experienced incivility within their workgroup; lower trust, in turn, related to lower job satisfaction, especially for those with low group regard. Implications for organizations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research has been undertaken and much has been written about the effects of emotional labour in the service and helping industries. While there has been much conjecture as to the definitions of emotional labour, there has been little serious analysis on the effects on police officers of performing emotional labour. On the one hand, the available evidence suggests police officers are among the most stressed employees of all professions, whilst on the other, the limited research on emotional labour and policing makes only tenuous links possible between the performance of emotional labour and high-stress outcomes in policing. This paper reviews emotional labour theory, past studies of employees and the culture within Victoria Police (Australia) and their stress claims data. Further research is required to establish a link between performing emotional labour and the stress of police officers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents the results of a nationwide survey of U.S. communication professionals in academia, which solicited their views on civility and incivility in the workplace. It is described as a preliminary attempt to better establish the study of such topics within the field of communications research. The survey collected narratives of personal experiences with civil or uncivil colleagues, and definitions of the terms. Incivility was found to be the more complex concept, in terms of its linguistic and cognitive associations.

In New Zealand, as in many other post-colonial societies, biculturalism is a one-way street: Māori New Zealanders are more likely to be bicultural than are Pākehā New Zealanders. Consequently it is Māori norms, including discourse norms, which are more likely to be ignored in most New Zealand workplaces, with the potential for misunderstanding, and even for offence and unintended insult. Our research in Māori and Pākehā workplaces suggests that unintended impoliteness can subtly infiltrate the core activities of workplaces, namely workplace meetings. We illustrate this by examining differences in the ways in which Māori and Pākehā New Zealanders open and close meetings, and the ways in which Māori and Pākehā make critical comments about the behaviour of workplace employees, relating these discourse moves to considerations of politeness and impoliteness. Our data suggests that while Māori meeting openings tend to be direct, explicit, and elaborated, Pākehā meeting openings are brief and minimal. On the other hand, Māori critical comments in the workplace tend to be indirect, implicit and generalized, while at least in some Pākehā workplaces, criticism can be direct, contestive, and confrontational. The paper concludes by emphasizing that the tendencies identified are based on exploratory research, and that further research is needed to confirm or contest our tentative generalizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although workplace incivility has been found to negatively impact individual and organizational performance and interfere with the creation of a civil and respectful workplace, the phenomenon has been largely overlooked by the field of human resource development (HRD). This article reviewed the workplace incivility literature to provide a better understanding of the characteristics, prevalence, trends, causes, and impacts of this phenomenon in contemporary workplaces. The review indicates that workplace incivility frequently occurs and is harmful; however, it is generally not well understood and accordingly not recognized as an issue needing attending. Therefore, this article calls for research attention from HRD scholars. The authors further provide HRD practitioners some guidelines that may assist them in identifying and dealing with uncivil behaviors at work and ultimately bringing out the desired individual and organizational performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This conceptual paper seeks to clarify the process of the emergence of positive collective affect. Specifically, it develops a dynamic model of the emergence of positive affective similarity in work groups. It is suggested that positive group affective similarity and within-group relationship quality are reciprocally interrelated in the form of a self-reinforcing spiral, which is driven by mechanisms of affective sharing and affective similarity-attraction between group members. We label this spiraling relationship ‘Positive Group Affect Spiral.’ This spiral is proposed to continuously strengthen both the similarity of group members' positive affect and the quality of their interpersonal relationships in a dynamic process. Further, we embed the Positive Group Affect Spiral into a framework of contextual factors that may diminish or strengthen its functioning, considering the potential impacts of charismatic leadership, individuals' or subgroups' organizational cynicism, group and organizational emotion norms, and organizational identity. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]