An Eye for an Eye? Exploring the Relationship Between Workplace Incivility Experiences and Perpetration

We examined the effects of gender and organizational climate for incivility on the relationship between individuals' incivility experiences and perpetration. Based on Andersson and Pearson's (1999) concept of the incivility spiral, Naylor, Pritchard, and Ilgen's (1980) theory of behavior in organizations, and social interactionist theory (Felson & Tedeschi, 1993), we proposed an interaction between incivility experiences, organizational climate for incivility (organizational tolerance and policies), and gender in predicting incivility perpetration. Results indicate that incivility experiences predict incivility perpetration and that men are more likely to be uncivil to others when their organization tolerates rudeness. Women's incivility experiences were associated with increased incivility perpetration, but were unaffected by incivility climate. Implications for research and practice are discussed.