Perpetrator-Targeted Reciprocated Incivility: The Investigation of the Incivility Spiral and the Effects of Agreeableness as a Moderator

Workplace incivility can result in detrimental effects for the members of the organization. One characteristic of the workplace incivility theory is that this low-intensity behavior can escalate into more severe forms of aggression through incivility exchange. Using the experimental vignette method and content analysis technique, the present study examined perpetrator-targeted reciprocated incivility and the moderating effects of agreeableness in order to clarify the effects of the incivility spiral. 296 employees in the United States were recruited from Amazon's Mechanical Turk. The results of the multilevel regression analyses suggest that the more an individual perceived their coworker's behavior as uncivil, the more likely they were to reciprocate incivility. Individuals high on agreeableness were less likely to reciprocate uncivil behavior.

Automated summary

Workplace incivility can have detrimental effects on organizational members, with low-intensity behaviors potentially escalating into more severe forms of aggression. This study examined perpetrator-targeted reciprocated incivility and the moderating effects of agreeableness using experimental vignettes and content analysis. The results indicated that individuals were more likely to reciprocate incivility when they perceived their coworker's behavior as uncivil, and that those high on agreeableness were less likely to engage in reciprocated incivility.