Incivility as a Communication Barrier: The Effects of Incivility Experiences, Appraisals, and Context on Employees’ Constructive Voice Behavior

In today’s competitive environment, organizations and researchers alike are placing increasing emphasis on the role of communication and, more specifically, employee voice at work. However, much less is known about workplace mistreatment as an antecedent factor that might hinder this important workplace asset. The current research examined a specific antecedent factor, workplace incivility, and its effects on constructive voice and engagement using a transactional stress theory framework. Currently, no research has investigated the potential for a connection between incivility and constructive voice, limiting our current understanding of their relationship. In an initial study, psychological safety and appraisals of control were examined as parallel mechanisms by which incivility experiences may serve as a barrier to constructive employee voice. Although psychological safety mediated the relationship between incivility and constructive voice, the results were less clear for appraisals of control. A second study extended these findings by examining an expanded set of cognitive appraisals and the additional role of supervisor openness to voice in the proposed relationships. Overall, the results suggest that there is a complex relationship between incivility and constructive voice and that this may have implications for employees’ engagement at work