Analyzing and Theorizing the Dynamics of the Workplace Incivility Crisis

Contemporary worklife builds upon a foundation for teamwork among skilled and dedicated people. Despite the utility of supportive working relationships and despite extensive consulting activity on leadership and team building, employees complain extensively about mistreatment by their bosses and colleagues. Analyzing and Theorizing the Dynamics of the Workplace Incivility Crisis presents a theoretic framework for considering the fundamental issues of group dynamics and individual psychology that lie behind this ongoing workplace incivility crisis. It contextualizes the need for belonging as a motivation that shapes expressed social behaviour and intensifies received social behaviour. Looking at cognitive elements as well as rudeness rationales that pertain to workplace incivility and its justification, this work maps social constructs, including the role of team leadership, that lead to setting implicit social norms. In addition to formulating a theoretical framework, Analyzing and Theorizing the Dynamics of the Workplace Incivility Crisis considers methods to address the dynamics that perpetuate incivility at work and actively points at setting an action agenda to evaluate their impact.

Michael P. Leiter is Professor of Psychology at Acadia University in Canada and Director of the Center for Organizational Research & Development that applies high quality research methods to human resource issues confronting organizations. He holds the Canada Research Chair in Occupational Health and Wellbeing at Acadia University. He is a registered psychologist in Nova Scotia, Canada. Dr. Leiter has received ongoing research funding for 30 years from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada as well as from international foundations for his work on job burnout and work engagement. He is internationally renowned for his work on job burnout and work engagement. Dr. Leiter is in demand as a keynote speaker and consultant on organizational research throughout North America and Europe. His current initiative in research and consulting is CREW - Civility, Respect, and Engagement at Work - that improves collegiality within groups.