Respect in the workplace: an evaluation of a short online intervention program

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of a short, online training program focused on respect in the workplace. Design/methodology/approach - Using a wait-list control design the authors collected measures of workplace behaviors prior to, immediately following and six weeks following the training from a sample of long-term care employees. Findings - The training was associated with a small increase in reported civility. Post hoc subsample analyses suggested that the training was particularly effective in increasing civility and efficacy perceptions among those respondents who had themselves reported engaging in incivility. Practical implications - The data offer support for the effectiveness of the training but suggest that more intensive interventions may be necessary. Results also suggest that the effects of training may vary across subgroups of employees. Originality/value - Training is one of the most frequently advocated solutions to incivility in the workplace. The findings offer support for a short, online training program.