The role of coworker exchange in the relationship between coworker incivility and employees' behaviors: the moderating effect of servant leadership
Journal of Managerial Psychology
ISSN: 0268-3946
Article publication date: 3 November 2023
Issue publication date: 27 November 2023
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to examine the effects of coworker incivility on employees' behaviors using a moderated mediation model that conceptualizes coworker exchange (CWX) as a mediator and servant leadership as a moderator.
Design/methodology/approach
The data were collected using a multi-temporal research design. The hypotheses were tested on a sample of 1,272 participants using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), hierarchical regression analysis and moderated path analysis. In addition, supervisor incivility was added as a control variable to partial out the potential influence on employees' behaviors.
Findings
The results of CFA ensured that all measures had discriminant and convergent validity. In addition, the results of hierarchical regression analysis and moderated path analysis indicated that CWX mediates the relationship between coworker incivility and employees' behaviors. Furthermore, servant leadership exacerbates the negative relationship between coworker incivility and CWX.
Practical implications
Leaders and practitioners should invest in communication training programs for developing employees' communication skills to avoid incivility. In addition to viewing incivility as inappropriate behavior, leaders and practitioners should understand the meaning beyond those incivilities.
Originality/value
This study utilized incivility spiral theory to examine how coworker incivility affects employees' behaviors. The mediated path analysis found that CWX mediates the relationship between these variables, which has been ignored by previous research. Furthermore, this study introduced servant leadership as a moderator to account for the “when” in incivility spiral theory, i.e. what kind of social context facilitates or inhibits the influence of coworker incivility on CWX.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This research was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology in Taiwan (grant number: MOST-107-2410-H-020-011-SS3).
Citation
Lin, C.-C., Lu, S.-C., Lai, F.-Y. and Chen, H.-L. (2023), "The role of coworker exchange in the relationship between coworker incivility and employees' behaviors: the moderating effect of servant leadership", Journal of Managerial Psychology, Vol. 38 No. 8, pp. 624-642. https://doi.org/10.1108/JMP-08-2022-0397
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
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