The relative predictability of incivility on interpersonal and organizational trust
Abstract
Pfeffer's (2006) lament that the American workplace is a "story of missed opportunities" (p. 30) challenges us to seek explanations for how we might create communal organizations characterized by trusting and meaningful relationships. Guided by an ethic of organizational democracy and an ethic of communication that demands managers and employees alike embrace their responsibilities to one another, this study was an attempt to increase our understanding of interpersonal and organizational trust and how it may be jeopardized in ways that threaten the possibility of communal organizations. More specifically, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relative impact of incivility on interpersonal and organizational trust. Findings demonstrated a strong negative correlation between subtle and intense forms of incivility and trust at the interpersonal and organizational levels. Almost half of these employees reported observing some level of incivility, as compared to the nearly 75% reported in most studies. Almost 85% indicated moderate to high levels of trust in their supervisors, and a mean of 3.31 on the OTI (Shockley-Zalabak, et al., 1999) as compared to the international norm of 2.75. Incivility was found to reduce trust significantly at the interpersonal level. Specifically, acts of subtle incivility were found to damage cognitive- and affect-based trust with immediate supervisors more so than intense acts of incivility. Incivility also reduced trust significantly at the organizational level and damaged each dimension of organizational trust. Subtle incivility was also found to damage organizational trust more so than more intense forms of incivility. These findings also lend some support for the Keyton and Smith (2003) and Tomlinson and Lewicki (2003) notion that trust and distrust are distinct concepts and not just the opposite ends of the same continuum. While subtle incivility was significantly related to lower levels of trust, more intense forms may very well incite and potentially increase distrust.
Degree
Ph.D.
Advisors
Sypher, Purdue University.
Subject Area
Communication|Organizational behavior|Organization theory
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