The Relationship of Coworker Incivility to Job Performance and the Moderating Role of Self-Efficacy and Compassion at Work: The Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) Approach

Purpose

This study examined the relationship between coworker incivility and job performance via emotional exhaustion, and the moderating effect of employee self-efficacy and compassion at work on the relationship.

Design/Methodology/Approach

Drawing on the Job Demands-Resources (JD-R) model, we hypothesized an indirect relationship between coworker incivility and job performance through emotional exhaustion. Also, we predicted that the positive relationship between coworker incivility and emotional exhaustion would be weaker for employees with high self-efficacy and compassion experience at work. Surveys were gathered at two time points, 3 months apart, from 217 frontline employees of a five-star hotel in South Korea.

Findings

The results indicated that coworker incivility was negatively related to job performance and that the link was fully mediated by emotional exhaustion. Employees’ self-efficacy buffered the negative outcomes of coworker incivility, whereas experienced compassion at work did not moderate the relationship between coworker incivility and emotional exhaustion.

Implications

This study advances understanding of the negative consequences of coworker incivility and the ways to attenuate such negative effects. We suggested emotional exhaustion as a key psychological mechanism and revealed self-efficacy belief as a boundary condition related to coworker incivility.

Originality/Value

With a focus on emotional exhaustion, this study addresses the call for a better understanding of the psychological mechanism involved in workplace incivility. Also, we discovered the role that personal resources play in mitigating the negative effects of coworker incivility. Finally, we extend the literature by theorizing the boundary conditions of coworker incivility using the JD-R approach.

     

Affective States and Traits in the Workplace: Diary and Survey Data from Young Workers

This study investigated proposed paths of the affective events theory (AET; H. M. Weiss & R. Cropanzano, 1996), with part-time employees completing surveys at 2 points in time and completing an event-contingent diary over 2 weeks. In support of AET, negative affectivity (Time 1) related to negative emotional reactions at work. Negative emotional reactions were associated with intention to leave the job (Time 2). This relationship was especially strong for the sadness emotions (disappointed, depressed, unhappy). Positive affectivity (Time 1) directly related to job satisfaction (Time 2), but only weakly predicted positive emotional reactions at work (aggregated over 2 weeks). Qualitative data provided information about work affective events and affect-driven behaviors. Interpersonal mistreatment from customers were the most frequent cause of anger and resulted in faking expressions about 50% of the time. Recognition from supervisors for work performance was the main cause of pride.     

Why and when cognitive job insecurity relates to affective job insecurity? A three-study exploration of negative rumination and the tendency to negative gossip

ABSTRACT

The job insecurity literature distinguishes between cognitive job insecurity and affective job insecurity where cognitive job insecurity reflects perceptions regarding the likelihood of total job loss or job features loss and affective job insecurity refers to emotional reactions to that potential loss. Indeed, affective job insecurity is demonstrated to be an affective reaction to cognitive job insecurity. However, the relationship between cognitive job insecurity and affective job insecurity may be neither direct nor unconditional. Drawing from cognitive appraisal theory, this research takes a nuanced approach to exploring the mediating role of negative work rumination and the moderating role of the tendency to negative gossip in the relationship between cognitive job insecurity and affective job insecurity. We examined our hypotheses using three time-lagged survey studies with employees recruited from the U.S. and China. These studies found that negative work rumination mediated the relation between cognitive job insecurity and affective job insecurity (Studies 1–3) and the tendency to negative gossip attenuated the positive relation between cognitive job insecurity and affective job insecurity (Studies 1 and 2). Thus, this research advances the job insecurity literature by identifying a mediator and a moderator in the process of how employees may experience job insecurity.     

In good company? A multi-study,multi-level investigation of the effects of coworker relationships on employee well-being

Two multi-level studies were conducted to examine the effects of attitudes towards coworkers on daily well-being. Study 1 linked daily levels of coworker satisfaction to job satisfaction and life satisfaction and examined the extent to which job satisfaction mediated the relationship between coworker satisfaction and life satisfaction among 33 government employees. Study 2 replicated and extended Study 1 by examining the extent to which agreeableness moderated the relationships between daily levels of coworker satisfaction and job and life satisfaction among an occupationally diverse sample of 79 employees. Results revealed that coworker satisfaction varied significantly from day to day and was positively related to job and life satisfaction. Further, job satisfaction partially mediated the relationship between daily coworker satisfaction and life satisfaction. Finally, agreeableness moderated the relationship between coworker satisfaction and job and life satisfaction, such that daily levels of these variables were more contingent on coworker satisfaction for agreeable individuals.     

Coworker exchange: relationships between coworkers,leader-member exchange,and work attitudes

The study of leadership exchanges is extended by studying both leader-member exchanges (LMXs) and coworker exchanges (CWXs). Data from 110 coworker dyads were used to examine relationships between LMXs and CWXs and between exchange relationships and work attitudes. As predicted, the interaction between 2 coworkers' LMX scores predicted CWX quality for the coworker dyad. Also, after controlling for LMX, greater diversity in a worker's CWX relationships was negatively related to his or her organizational commitment but not job satisfaction. The quality of a worker's CWX relationships, however, did not moderate the relationship between CWX diversity and work attitudes.     

The Mediating Roles of Work–Family Conflict and Facilitation in the Relations Between Leisure Experience and Job/Life Satisfaction Among Employees in Shanghai Banking Industry

In this study, we explore whether the relationship between leisure experience and job/life satisfaction is mediated by work–family conflict and facilitation, and how these effect coefficients varied among different demographic groups of gender, marital status as well as parental status. With the survey data from 1706 employees in the Shanghai banking industry, we found work–family conflict and facilitation acted as mediators between leisure experience and job/life satisfaction. In all demographic groups, work–family conflict was negatively related with leisure experience and job/life satisfaction. Conversely, work–family facilitation was positively related with leisure experience and job/life satisfaction. Moreover, we found (1) compared with the case for males, the negative effect coefficient of work–family conflict on job satisfaction was significantly higher in female samples. (2) The positive effect coefficients of leisure experience on work–family facilitation was higher for married couples than for unmarried employees. (3) For employees who had children, the negative effect coefficient of leisure experience on work–family conflict as well as the positive effect coefficient of leisure experience on work–family facilitation were significantly higher than for employees who had no children. The results of this study suggest that employees in the banking industry would experience a lower level of work–family conflict and better maintain work–family facilitation by engaging in leisure pursuits with their family. The limitations of this study were discussed as well.     

Demands,Resources, Well-Being and Strain: Meta-Analyzing Moderator Effects of Workforce Racial Composition

Racial diversity in the U.S. workforce is increasing, and many organizations are more racially diverse than ever before. Racial minority employees experience the ecosystem of work demands and resources differently to white employees; including perceiving higher demands, lower control and support, greater stress and psychological strain, and less well-being. However, there remains little research on how relationships between these work characteristics and well-being and strain, and interrelationships differ across more racially diverse versus homogeneous (e.g., predominantly white) workplaces. This limits understanding of optimal job redesign practices as workplaces continue to become more racially diverse. Through the lens of the job demands, control, support (JDC[S]), and the job demands-resources (JD-R) frameworks, we build on previous meta-analyses by examining workplace racial composition as a moderator of demand-resource relationships with well-being and strain, and interrelationships, in 63 studies of U.S. workers (N_{(Individuals)} = 93,974). Our findings show several moderation effects. For example, as the proportion of racial minority employees increases, the positive control and well-being relationship increases, and the positive relationship between supervisor support and well-being decreases. Further, as the proportion of African-American employees (versus white and all other racial subgroups) increases, the positive control and supervisor support relationship decreases, as does the positive coworker support and well-being relationship. Our results offer new insights into the role of workplace racial composition on how work is experienced, and job design recommendations in a time of increasing workplace racial diversity.

     

Social Support at Work and Affective Commitment to the Organization: The Moderating Effect of Job Resource Adequacy and Ambient Conditions

ABSTRACT

This study investigated whether both supervisor and coworker support may be positively related to affective commitment to the organization on one hand; and on the other hand, it examined the moderating effect of job resource adequacy and ambient conditions on these relationships. The sample included 215 participants working within a health care organization. Results of regression analysis showed that supervisor and coworker support have an additive effect on affective commitment. Hierarchical regression analyses indicated that supervisor and coworker support are more strongly related to affective commitment when job resource adequacy is high. Furthermore, ambient conditions moderate the relationship between supervisor support and affective commitment in such a way that favorable ambient conditions strengthen this relationship. Overall, these findings reinforce the importance of taking into account contingent factors in the study of antecedents of affective commitment to the organization.     

The role of leader‐member exchanges in mediating the relationship between locus of control and work reactions

The relationship between locus of control, the quality of exchanges between subordinates and leaders (LMX), and a variety of work‐related reactions (intrinsic/extrinsic job satisfaction, work‐related well‐being, and organizational commitment) are examined. It was predicted that people with an internal locus of control develop better quality relations with their manager and this, in turn, results in more favourable work‐related reactions. Results from two different samples (N=404, and N=51) supported this prediction, and also showed that LMX either fully, or partially, mediated the relationship between locus of control and all the work‐related reactions.     

Perceived organizational support: a review of the literature

The authors reviewed more than 70 studies concerning employees' general belief that their work organization values their contribution and cares about their well-being (perceived organizational support; POS). A meta-analysis indicated that 3 major categories of beneficial treatment received by employees (i.e., fairness, supervisor support, and organizational rewards and favorable job conditions) were associated with POS. POS, in turn, was related to outcomes favorable to employees (e.g., job satisfaction, positive mood) and the organization (e.g., affective commitment, performance, and lessened withdrawal behavior). These relationships depended on processes assumed by organizational support theory: employees' belief that the organization's actions were discretionary, feeling of obligation to aid the organization, fulfillment of socioemotional needs, and performance-reward expectancies.     

“近朱者赤”：同事主动行为如何激发员工动机和绩效

以往有关主动性的研究通常聚焦员工本身, 忽略了团队或组织中同事会对员工行为产生影响这一重要管理实践和理论视角。为此, 本研究以社会学习理论为基础, 探讨了同事主动行为对员工自主动机和工作绩效的影响, 以及员工主动性人格的调节作用。通过多时点、上下级匹配问卷(研究1)及情景实验(研究2)两项研究, 本文发现, 同事主动行为可以激发员工的自主动机, 进而提升工作绩效; 并且, 员工主动性人格强化了同事主动行为对员工自主动机的正向作用。本研究不仅从理论上将现有关于主动行为的研究视角迁移到同事, 也为如何更好地激励员工提供了实践指导。     

Work‐Group Membership (In)Stability and Survivors' Reactions to Organizational Downsizing1

This longitudinal panel study investigated the interactive effect of work‐group membership stability and time on survivors' reactions to organizational downsizing. The participants were 159 nonmanagement employees of a federal government department. Survivors in moderate‐change work groups did not react more negatively to the downsizing. In fact, they reported a significant increase in job satisfaction, job security, job performance, and employee morale. Survivors who changed to different work groups expressed the least positive attitudes in the initial phase of the downsizing, but the most positive attitudes at the completion of the downsizing. Work‐group membership (in)stability was more likely to affect survivors' reactions to various aspects of their job over time than factors related to the work group itself.     

Depletion from Self‐Regulation: A Resource‐based Account of the Effect of Value Incongruence

Value incongruence between employees and organizations has been identified as a negative work condition. An attitude‐based account suggests that value incongruence gives rise to negative attitudes toward organizations and thus causes low performance. To complement this mechanism, we propose a resource‐based account based on ego‐depletion theory, which suggests that value incongruence consumes an individual's regulatory resources and leads to low work performance. In support of this view, results from 2 survey studies and a vignette experiment reveal that value incongruence is positively associated with ego depletion, which in turn is negatively related to work performance. The mediation effect of ego depletion is independent of the attitude‐based mechanism as represented by job satisfaction and affective commitment. Consistent with the affective consistency perspective, the relationship between value incongruence and ego depletion is stronger among employees high in positive affectivity and weaker among employees high in negative affectivity. The corresponding moderated mediation analysis shows that the indirect effects of value incongruence on work performance through ego depletion vary as a function of positive and negative affectivity. This investigation unravels the self‐regulatory consequence of value incongruence and shows that the resource‐based mechanism of value incongruence operates differentially as a function of dispositional affectivity.     

Work engagement and financial returns: A diary study on the role of job and personal resources

This study investigates how daily fluctuations in job resources (autonomy, coaching, and team climate) are related to employees' levels of personal resources (self‐efficacy, self‐esteem, and optimism), work engagement, and financial returns. Forty‐two employees working in three branches of a fast‐food company completed a questionnaire and a diary booklet over 5 consecutive workdays. Consistent with hypotheses, multi‐level analyses revealed that day‐level job resources had an effect on work engagement through day‐level personal resources, after controlling for general levels of personal resources and engagement. Day‐level coaching had a direct positive relationship with day‐level work engagement, which, in‐turn, predicted daily financial returns. Additionally, previous days' coaching had a positive, lagged effect on next days' work engagement (through next days' optimism), and on next days' financial returns.     

The assessment of attitudes toward individuals with disabilities in the workplace

The authors conducted 2 studies to develop and test measures that assess beliefs about what constitutes a disability, affective reactions to working with individuals with disabilities, and beliefs about the reasonableness of workplace accommodations, in general and within the context of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). The results of these 2 studies showed substantial differences in what was considered to be a disability. In general, more physical and sensory-motor conditions were considered disabilities than were psychological conditions. Furthermore, the conditions believed to be disabilities did not necessarily match what is covered by the ADA. Gender and experience with individuals who are disabled were also found to predict affective reactions and the reasonableness of accommodations. Implications for organizations are discussed.     

When and why creativity‐related conflict with coworkers can hamper creative employees' individual job performance

We examined when and why focal employees' creativity-related conflict with coworkers is related to their individual job performance. As hypothesized, a survey among 113 employees in 14 manufacturing work groups showed that creativity-related conflict with coworkers escalates into dysfunctional relationship conflict when focal employees have low rather than high trust in those coworkers. In its turn, relationship conflict with coworkers was found to be negatively associated with focal employees' individual job performance when they lack support from their supervisor. Finally, the indirect effect of creativity-related conflict on job performance through relationship conflict was found to be significant when both the first stage moderator of coworker trust and the second stage moderator of supervisory support were low rather than high.     

Perceived organizational support‐burnout‐satisfaction relationship in workers with disabilities: The moderation of family support

Our study tests the perceived organizational support‐burnout‐satisfaction relationship based on stressor–strain–outcome model of stress (Koeske & Koeske, 1993 ) and on the conservation of resources theory (Hobfoll, 1989 ) in workers with disabilities employed in ordinary or competitive jobs (open labor market), analyzing the relationship between perceived organizational support, family support, job satisfaction and burnout. We use a sample of 246 workers with physical, motor, sensory and psychological disabilities working in ordinary jobs. To test our proposed model we used a regression‐based path analysis using PROCESS software, which is a computational tool for estimating and probing interactions and the conditional indirect effects of moderated mediation models. We find that the positive relationship between organizational support and job satisfaction was partially mediated by the levels of cynicism and the relationship between burnout and job satisfaction was moderated by family support. Employees with low support from family had identical job satisfaction with high burnout or low burnout, but employees with high support from family when they had high burnout had lower job satisfaction than when they had low burnout, indicating that the support outside work could have a negative effect in workers’ life. Practical implications and future research are discussed and proposed. 1 1 A previous version of the abstract has been published in the European Congress of Psychology‐2015‐Abstract Book.
     

Changes in the Frequency of Coworker Incivility: Roles of Work Hours,Workplace Sex Ratio,Supervisor Leadership Style,and Incivility

Previous research has identified individual characteristics that affect experiences of coworker incivility. However, much less is known about environmental characteristics that affect these experiences. Drawing on the social learning theory and the frustration–aggression hypothesis, this study examined the effects of supervisor incivility and work hours on coworker incivility. Data collected from 692 full-time employees showed that changes in the frequency of supervisor incivility positively predicted changes in the frequency of coworker incivility over the next 6-month period. This relationship tended to be stronger for employees who had a supervisor lower rather than higher in the levels of autocratic leadership style. Furthermore, changes in work hours positively predicted changes in coworker incivility. The workplace sex ratio was not an important factor that differentiated experiences of coworker incivility for either men or women. The results of this study highlight the importance of attending to the environmental characteristics of the workplace to understand the occurrence of coworker incivility.     

A meta‐analytic review of the relationship between emotional dissonance and emotional exhaustion

This meta‐analysis examined the relationship between emotional dissonance and burnout. We collected 57 independent samples that included self‐report measures of emotional dissonance and emotional exhaustion from 16,165 employees. As predicted, a reliable relationship (r = .34) between the two variables was found, indicating that employees who “fake” their emotions at work also suffer from emotional exhaustion, a key component of job burnout. Moderation analyses indicate that effect sizes strengthen as an increasing function of publication year, and are strongest in police work, compared with other service job types. As predicted from a gender role perspective, effect sizes are more pronounced as the percentage of women increases in a sample. Results suggest that emotional dissonance may be added to the growing list of job stressors that lead to emotional exhaustion.     

Rain,Rain Go Away! A Diary Study on Morning Weather and Affective Well-Being at Work

Weather determines a number of affective experiences in everyday life. Although affective events theory positions environmental features such as the weather as important in determining affective well-being also at work, research in this regard has mainly focused on predictors within the person or work context. Addressing this gap, we studied how daily morning weather relates to day-specific affective well-being at work. Specifically, we examined vigor and job satisfaction as positive well-being states, and negative affect and burnout as negative well-being states. Additionally, we examined individual weather sensitivity and positive/negative affectivity as person-level moderators of the daily weather–well-being relationship. Using data gathered in a diary study with 115 employees reporting on 457 workdays, we found morning weather to be related to state vigor and job satisfaction, but not to negative affect and burnout. Positive affectivity moderated the relationships between morning weather and job satisfaction as well as burnout. Weather sensitivity moderated the relationship between morning weather and vigor, while negative affectivity did not moderate any relationship between morning weather and well-being at work. Our results contribute to the understanding of affective well-being at work by pointing at the role environmental factors such as weather conditions can play.