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.