The Effect of Supervisor Incivility from the Perspective of Bystander: A Dual Approach Study of Emotion and Cognition

Abstract

Abstract: In recent years, researchers have paid more and more attention to workplace incivility from bystanders' perspective. But most of the existing researches are based on the "deontic justice" perspective and few studies investigate the potential "rational cognition" of bystanders. Drawing on social information processing theory, we explore the effect of supervisor incivility from bystanders' perspective. Based on the three-period survey data from 347 employees, we find that workplace anxiety mediates the relationship between observed supervisor incivility and bystander's self-improvement behavior, while self-concern mediates the relationship between observed supervisor incivility and bystander's ingratiation behavior. Workplace resilience negatively moderates the relationship between observed supervisor incivility and bystanders' workplace anxiety, as well as the indirect effects of workplace anxiety. Workplace resilience positively moderates the relationship between observed supervisor incivility and bystanders' self-concern and the indirect effects of self-concern. Finally, we discuss the theoretical contribution and practical implication of this study.

Key words: observed supervisor's incivility, workplace anxiety, self-concern, workplace resilience, ingratiation behavior

Zhan Xiaojun, Wan Yi, Li Zhicheng, Li Mingze. The Effect of Supervisor Incivility from the Perspective of Bystander: A Dual Approach Study of Emotion and Cognition[J]. Management Review, 2023, 35(7): 209-220,249.

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