How to Fight Incivility in the Workplace - Research Paper Example

 How to Fight Incivility in the Workplace I. INTRODUCTION A. Definition of incivility B. A brief overview of workplace incivility II. CAUSES OF WORKPLACE INCIVILITY A. Individual causes B. Group and family causes C. Organizational causes III. DEFENSIVE COMMUNICATION AS A FORM OF WORKPLACE INCIVILITY A. Problems that arise from defensive communication within organizations B. Subordinate defensiveness C. Dominant defensiveness IV. COSTS OF WORKPLACE INCIVILITY V. WAYS TO FIGHT AND CURB WORKPLACE INCIVILITY VI. CONCLUSION Incivility in the workplace can take various forms. Ciletti defines incivility as “social behavior that lacks good manners, appropriate etiquette, or general courtesy” (313).Workplace incivility can arise from various sources. Unbound organizational and societal basic moral standards have contributed in distorting the distinction between acceptable and unacceptable workplace behavior. Most organizations fail to draw a clear line between the acceptable and unacceptable. Leaders in the workplace and organizations in general also contribute to workplace incivility. This is because sometimes they also engage in rude and disrespectful acts. Incivility in the workplace can range from gossip, rude language and behavior, harassment, to sabotage of co-worker’s projects. Olson-Buchanan and Boswell point out that “managers and organizations unwillingness to address incivility, when it does occur, leads to more incivility in the workplace” (15). 1. Causes of Workplace Incivility There are three main causes of workplace incivility namely; individual, group/family and organizational causes. Personal traits for example temperament, rebelliousness, impulsiveness and reactivity make people culprits of incivility. Work and family stress increase the chances of people committing uncivil acts. Individuals with a past of harassing others have a high probability of engaging in workplace incivility. A past history of being a victim of incivility also increases an individual’s possibility of becoming a perpetrator. This is because uncivil workplace behaviors are learnt when people are victims, given that social learning mechanisms are mainly found at the workplace. People therefore gain a tendency to treat others in the same manner they are treated. Today, most workers are given more work while overall support and job security remain very low. To add to this predicament, economic problems are being experienced worldwide, and workers hardly make enough to sustain themselves and their families. Co-workers at one time or the other engage in displays of incivility. A good example is a co-worker who intentionally refuses to greet others in an office. Job insecurity among employees increases cases of workplace incivility. Dissatisfied employees have very minimal loyalty to an organization, and most of the time act as they wish without worry of being punished or even fired. Workmates distrust of each other also cultivates incivility, which may take the form of gossip or mistreatment. Cultural differences among co-workers sometimes lead to groupings among employees, therefore promoting incivility. Workers from diverse backgrounds also react differently to different situations. A reaction by a worker or group of workers may be viewed as uncivil by others and the vice versa. Organizations have the duty to ensure that proper policies and regulations are put in place, and adhered to by all employees. Policies to address workers misconduct are also very important. Vagueness in terms of unacceptable and acceptable behavior in an organization promotes incivility. Employees, who work with no laid structures of organizational etiquette, act very informally and casually towards each other. Organizational changes such as outsourcing or downsizing if not conducted carefully and considerably, lead to victimization, stress and ultimately incivility. Superiors and organizations as a whole also promote incivility, by providing examples of rude and disrespectful behaviors. Nelson and Quick point out that “incivility from superiors and powerful others is often tolerated even though it leads to a decline in satisfaction with the supervisor” (289). Organizations adoptions of new technologies that reduce human interaction create environments which do not promote human relations. Workers who constantly interact with machines in their work become more competent with the devices, and lose ground in dealing with co-workers. Employees in these environments become accustomed to individual work and space, making it very hard to cope with others. Failure by organizations to address incivility when it occurs has also been a leading cause for the spread of workplace incivility. 2. Defensive Communication as a Form of Incivility Nelson and Quick state that “defensive communication in organizations is a form of incivility that creates barriers between people, whereas non defensive communication opens relationships” (290). Organizations involvement in media exchanges and courtroom battles creates conducive settings for defensive communication. Communication breakdowns, alienation in working relationships, nonproductive efforts, failures in decision making, and injured feelings are all results of defensive communication in organizations. Blame game and withdrawal when problems arise in organizations, only worsens situations by derailing communication. Nelson and Quick describe two forms of defensive communication namely subordinate defensiveness, and dominant defensiveness (291). Subordinate defensiveness involves submissive, passive, and withdrawing behavior. Subordinately defensive people always think that they are wrong, and the other person is right. This is common in people with low self-esteem, and those at lower levels of the organization. Due to fear, such people fail to relay information which could be sensitive and vital for an organization’s performance. Nelson and Quick point out that “passive-aggressive behavior is a form of defensiveness that appears very passive, but masks underlying aggression and hostility” (291). Dominant defensiveness on the other hand involves active, attacking and aggressive behavior that is offensive. Dominantly defensive people always think that they are right, and the other person is wrong. This behavior is common in people with high self-esteem, and especially those at higher levels of the organization hierarchy. 3. Costs of Workplace Incivility Tolerating incivility rather than addressing it leads to greater problems within organizations. Outcomes of workplace incivility are diverse, and can even flow to workers family lives. The order of repercussions depends on the origin of incivility. Though tolerated, incivility from managers and supervisors leads to a decline in employees’ job satisfaction. Consequently, precious work time is lost when a victimized employee engages in brooding over an incident, and possible future interactions. Most employees reduce their commitment to such an organization, while others contemplate changing the job. Reduced commitment to the organization leads to overall reduction in productivity, which ultimately results in losses. Employees who experience incivility from co-workers become very dissatisfied with such co-workers. Others go to the extent of generalizing the experience to the rest of the co-workers. Incivility by a co-worker brings about the existence of unjust treatment in the workplace. It also leads to an increase in depression, and overall decrease in productivity. Lack of harmony among co-workers affects an organization negatively. This is because an organization losses the ability to provide satisfactory services. Customer satisfaction is in turn affected. This is very dangerous to an organization since its success or downfall depends on such customers. Victims of workplace incivility refrain from engaging themselves in any tasks that are outside their laid out job specifications. Their job motivation is also very low, and thus they spend very little effort to meet obligations. Their unwillingness to cooperate and help others reduces their contribution to the company. In fact, most of such victims would wish to just report to work and work alone, or stay idle for the rest of the day. This way they can be sure of avoiding the rudeness from others. All in all, solutions to all these problems are possible, and can turn the workplace to a great environment. 4. Ways to Fight and Curb Workplace Incivility Manager and supervisors need to conduct self analysis. This will ensure that they do not practice or promote any kind of incivility. When conducting self analysis, feedback from employees is very crucial in determining whether their behavior is right. They should also implement forms of management geared toward minimizing any form of rudeness. Establishing professional and formal relationships with employees, and other managers, and advocating for the same among the employees will aid in reducing workplace incivility. Supervisors should find ways to monitor the behavior of employees, and from time to time, reward good and punish bad behavior. Awareness and access to regulations and policies, is a good guide for managers and supervisors in creating adherence to rules and in compensation. Involving employees in decision making helps in determining what is good for them, and providing them with work environments that they are comfortable with. Crampton and Hodge advise that “supervisors should ensure that their employees are given the opportunity to address their concerns either in person one-on-one or anonymously through suggestion boxes” (4). Organizations on the other hand should take an active role to eliminate workplace incivility. First and foremost, an organization’s policies and procedures should be kept in check. Incivility management programs geared towards respect, rewards and recognition are vital. Crampton and Hodge point out that “an organization must develop a zero-tolerance policy toward incivility and rudeness by creating and maintaining a culture that emphasizes respect among employees” (5). Highlighting principles to be followed by all managers such as timeliness, discretion, courtesy, concern, proper attire, and language in the workplace ensures that leaders also practice civility. Compensation and rewards for employees should be done carefully, rewards should go hand in hand with performance otherwise mistrust could be cultivated. Styles of management within an organization also have an outcome in the amount of incivility within organizations. Greenberg states that “in organizations where managers exert control through constant monitoring and checking on employees, employees may grow to resent and distrust managers” (255). This ultimately increases incivility within the organization. Organizations should gear their efforts towards creating, and maintaining an affable work atmosphere. Creating a code on workplace civility, and training employees on ways to manage stress, solve problems, and use civilized ways to resolve conflicts eliminates incivility. Formal channels, through which employees can communicate any forms of rude behavior, are also significant in addressing workplace incivility. All organizations should take a step to teach civility, through training employees on how to work in teams, negotiate, resolve conflicts, listen actively, and manage stress. When incivility occurs, organizations should take a lead role in responding to it. This is because most instigators of incivility happen to be people in positions of power, within the organizations. 5. Conclusion The outcomes of incivility are negative, and should not be tolerated in any organization. Despite being a mild form of mistreatment in the workplace, incivility can result in great problems, and in serious cases, complete downfall for an organization. Immediate response to acts of incivility within organizations is a good starting point to deal with the issue. Trainings and overall assistance to employees are also very significant, in fighting workplace incivility. By understanding all concepts surrounding incivility in the workplace, organizations’ will be in a better position to address the issue, and design ways to minimize or eliminate it. Works Cited Ciletti, Dorene. Marketing Yourself. Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2011. Print. Crampton, Suzanne, and John Hodge. “Rudeness and Incivility in the Workplace.” Journal of Leadership, Accountability and Ethics: 1-8. Print. Greenberg, Jerald. Insidious Workplace Behavior. New York: Routledge, 2010. Print. Maravelas, Anna. How to Reduce Workplace Conflict and Stress: How Leaders and Their Employees can Protect Their Sanity and Productivity from Tension and Turf Wars. Downtown Portland: Read How You Want, 2008. Print. Mathis, Robert, and John Jackson. Human Resource Management. Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2010. Print. Nelson, Debra, and James Quick. Organizational Behavior: Science, the Real World, and You. Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2012. Print. Olson-Buchanan, Julie, and Wendy Boswell. Mistreatment in the Workplace: Prevention and Resolution for Managers and organizations. Chichester: Wiley-Blackwell, 2009. Print. Read More