The research provides an empirical test of Andersson and Pearson’s (1999) theoretical incivility spiral
Matt Valle, Elon University professor of management, along with colleagues Suzanne Zivnuska, Ken Harris, Ranida Harris, John Carlson and Dawn Carlson published research in the December 2024 issue of “Asia-Pacific Journal of Business Administration,” which investigated the spiraling effect of incivility perpetration following incivility victimization using organizational ICT (Information and Communication Technologies).
This is the first known test of the incidence of an incivility spiral due to communications enacted through ICT. According to the authors, there is special cause for concern given the often-impersonal nature of ICT use (and abuse) in organizations. Individuals may feel emboldened by the distance and perceived safety ICT mediation affords and may be less likely to moderate their online interactions with colleagues. Absent the physical intimacy and non-verbal signals that face-to-face interactions provide, individuals may be more likely to perpetuate incivility in ICT interactions even if there is no implicit intent to harm others.
The primary finding was that ICT incivility in the workplace has the potential to spiral, insofar as incivility victims are likely to become incivility perpetrators in the future. The research shows how technology-mediated communication can influence workplace relationships and behaviors, impacting overall workplace culture. By understanding the dynamics of incivility perpetuation through ICT, managers and organizational leaders can work toward promoting respectful and positive interactions in both virtual and physical work spaces.
ICT use is ubiquitous in organizations and maintaining high standards for civil discourse through the varied communication media may help organizations enhance collaboration, support employee emotional well-being, and deepen organizational commitment. Additionally, civil online interactions may help organizations avoid an escalation of other deviant behaviors in the future.
In online ICT interactions, the research team generally found that “what goes around, comes around.”