Publication Date

5-2011

Advisor(s) - Committee Chair

Dr. Anthony Paquin (Director), Dr. Jacqueline Pope-Tarrence, Dr. Sarah Ostrowski

Degree Program

Department of Psychology

Degree Type

Master of Arts

Abstract

Incivility within organizations is a rampant problem with dire consequences,including adverse effects on both job satisfaction and psychological states. This study was conducted to address the gap in the current literature that looks at incivility within organizations. To date, no studies have assessed the impact of bottom-up incivility (i.e., incivility that is directed from subordinates to supervisors) on supervisor targets. Thus, this study investigated the impact of bottom-up forms of incivility of supervisors’ mental and physical states, as well as their levels of job satisfaction. However, due to small sample sizes, the current research was expanded to address the effects of both bottom-up incivility and other forms of incivility (i.e., peer-to-peer and superior-to-subordinate). As a result, the study consisted of two samples: bottom-up targets (N = 19) and targets of all forms of incivility (N = 89). In the bottom-up sample, results showed that instances of bottom-up incivility are a significant predictor of lower levels of job satisfaction. In the sample of targets of all forms of incivility, the results indicated that incivility was a significant predictor of lower levels of mental health. In the sample of targets of all forms of incivility, hierarchical regression analyses also showed that the effects of incivility on physical health were mediated by mental health.

Disciplines

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

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