What a rude e-mail! Examining the differential effects of incivility versus support on mood, energy, engagement, and performance in an online context.

Existing research on workplace incivility has demonstrated an association with a host of negative outcomes, including increased burnout, turnover intentions, and physical symptoms. With the rise in Internet communication over the last decade, interpersonal mistreatment has spilled over to the Internet, but little is known about the impact of incivility communicated via e-mail on employee psychological and performance outcomes. The current study presents a within-subjects experiment wherein incivility and support were manipulated in a laboratory-based simulated workplace setting. Eighty-four participants completed a series of math tasks while interacting with either an uncivil or a supportive supervisor via e-mail. Data were collected on energy, cardiac activity, mood, task performance, and engagement. Findings indicate that participants reported higher levels of negative affect and lower levels of energy after working with the uncivil supervisor than with the supportive supervisor. Additionally, participants performed significantly worse on the math tasks and had lower engagement in the uncivil condition than the supportive condition, and these relationships were mediated by energy. No differences were found in cardiac activity between the two conditions. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for the 21st century world of work.

Cyber incivility @ work: the new age of interpersonal deviance.

The current study was designed to extend the interpersonal deviance literature into the online domain by examining the incidence and impact of supervisor cyber incivility and neuroticism on employee outcomes at work. Conservation of Resources (COR) theory was used as the guiding framework because cyber incivility is thought to deplete energetic resources in much the same way that other stressors do, ultimately leading to negative outcomes like burnout. Results indicate that supervisor cyber incivility is positively related to burnout, absenteeism, and turnover intentions. Support was also found for the role of neuroticism as a moderator of the relationship between supervisor cyber incivility and outcomes. In general, the relations between cyber incivility and outcomes were stronger for those individuals reporting higher levels of neuroticism. Results are discussed in terms of COR theory, and possible mechanisms for the role of neuroticism in the stressor-strain relationship are discussed. The current study highlights the importance of understanding workplace online behavior and its impact on employee health and organizational well-being. Future research directions examining online interpersonal deviance are suggested.