Workplace Incivility as Modern Sexual Prejudice

Workplace Bullying Experiences of Nurses From Diverse Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Groups

AIM

To examine nurse workplace bullying relative to diverse sexual orientation and gender identity groups.

DESIGN

Observational cross-sectional study.

METHODS

Using an annual organisational satisfaction survey from 2022, we identified free-text comments provided by nurses (N = 25,337). We identified and themed comments for specific bullying content among unique respondents (n = 1432). We also examined close-ended questions that captured organisational constructs, such as job satisfaction and burnout. We looked at differences by comparing diverse sexual orientation and gender identity groups to the majority using both qualitative and quantitative data.

RESULTS

For the free-text comments, themed categories reflected the type of bullying, the perpetrator and perceived impact. Disrespect was the most frequent theme with supervisors being the primary perpetrator. The reported bullying themes and workplace perceptions differed between nurses in the diverse gender identity and sexual orientation group compared to other groups. Nurses who reported bullying also reported higher turnover intent, burnout, lower workplace civility, more dissatisfaction and lower self-authenticity.

CONCLUSION

Diverse sexual orientation and gender identity groups are understudied in the nurse bullying research, likely because of sensitivities around identification. Our design enabled anonymous assessment of these groups. We suggest practices to help alleviate and mitigate the prevalence of bullying in nursing.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

No Patient or Public Contribution.

IMPACT

We examined differences in perceptions of nurse bullying between diverse sexual orientation and gender identity groups compared to majority groups. Group differences were found both for thematic qualitative content and workplace experience ratings with members of minority groups reporting less favourable workplace experiences. Nurse leaders and staff can benefit from learning about best practices to eliminate bullying among this population.

REPORTING METHOD

STROBE guidelines for cross-sectional observational studies.

The relationship between faculty diversity and workplace civility in nursing education: A correlational analysis

AIM

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between faculty diversity and workplace civility in nursing programs.

BACKGROUND

Diversity is needed in healthcare and in nursing education. A diverse workforce contributes to positive organizational culture and optimal learning environments for students and faculty in nursing programs. However, nursing faculty with diverse backgrounds often experience incivility more often than the rest of the population. Effects of incivility for all faculty can be detrimental and commonly include both physical and emotional symptoms. Civility encompasses respect for diversity and inclusion. It involves consistent, intentional acts to welcome and celebrate individual differences as well as different ways of thinking and acting. The relationship between level of faculty diversity and workplace civility has not previously been studied. Understanding this relationship will be an important step in increasing workplace civility in nursing education.

DESIGN

Correlational design METHODS: Nursing faculty (n=528) from across the United States completed the Workplace Incivility/Civility Survey (WICS). Participants were grouped based on their self-reported level of faculty diversity at the nursing program where they were employed. Several questions from the WICS were analyzed to determine the experience and perceived incidence of incivility by the faculty participants. Descriptive statistics were used to calculate means and frequencies for the survey questions and Pearson correlation coefficient was calculated to determine if significant relationships existed between variables.

RESULTS

A significant negative correlation was found between the level of faculty diversity and workplace incivility. As faculty diversity increased, workplace incivility decreased.

CONCLUSIONS

Nursing programs with more diverse faculty tend to have lower levels of workplace incivility. Nursing program administrators should make every effort to diversify their faculty body.

When Potential Allies and Targets Do (and Do Not) Confront Anti-Asian Prejudice: Reactions to Blatant and Subtle Prejudice During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Anti-Asian xenophobia has exploded during the COVID-19 pandemic, after U.S. political leaders promoted anti-Asian rhetoric from its start. Confronting prejudice interrupts future perpetration of such prejudice, but confronting prejudice can only occur to the extent actions are first attributed to prejudice. Bystanders may attribute less prejudice to speech about the "Chinese Virus" than to more blatant stereotype expression, for example, and therefore be less vehement in their confrontations. Across two studies, we examined the impact of anti-Asian prejudice type (blatant, subtle, or no prejudice) and bystander race/ethnicity (White or Asian American/Pacific Islander [AAPI]), on prejudice attribution, willingness to confront, actual confrontation, and confrontation vehemence. In the context of a hiring manager justifying rejection of a Chinese applicant, we predicted that blatant prejudice would be detected and confronted most willingly, and subtle prejudice more willingly than no prejudice, and that prejudice detection would mediate the relationship between prejudice type and willingness to confront. Further, we expected AAPI bystanders to detect anti-Asian prejudice more readily than White bystanders, but to confront at lower rates, with actual confrontations being more vehement following blatant (relative to subtle or no) prejudice. Analyses were conducted using SPSS 27 and the PROCESS v4.1 macro, controlling for potential confounds such as political orientation and individual-level prejudice (expressed or perceived). Results of both studies (n = 142 [Study 1], n = 274 [Study 2]) supported hypotheses, except in Study 1 bystanders exposed to subtle prejudice were no more willing to confront than no-prejudice controls. Results of exploratory analyses indicated that attribution to prejudice was the primary obstacle to confrontation following subtle prejudice, whereas action taking was the primary obstacle following blatant prejudice. This research underscores the need for interventions to increase detection of all forms of anti-Asian prejudice and to provide would-be confronters with effective confrontation tools.

Manifestations and Reinforcement of Heteronormativity in the Workplace: A Systematic Scoping Review

This scoping review systematizes the evidence available to date on the manifestations of heteronormativity in the workplace. The reviewed literature shows that, at an organizational level, heteronormativity is reproduced in the configuration of space, organizational policies, and the monitoring of their accomplishment by leaders. At an interpersonal level, employees interact with others based on heterosexual presumptions, they reward what is aligned with heteronormativity, and censor what is not. Finally, individuals acting of their own volition may perform their gender in ways that strengthen the presumption of heterosexuality and communicate heteronormativity alignment. This review offers suggestions for future research in the field of heteronormativity in the workplace and includes theoretical and practical implications for the creation of inclusive organizations.

Incivility experienced by immigrants struggling with acculturation: exploring buffering effects of holding behaviors by mentors

Purpose

Challenges with acculturation in organizations may make employees an easy target of workplace incivility and awareness of what constitutes uncivil behaviors at work can influence the association between acculturation and incivility. The current study examined the links between acculturation, incivility and tested mentor holding behavior as a moderator.

Design/methodology/approach

Survey data including responses to incivility vignettes were collected from 163 full-time first- and second-generation immigrant employees in the southeastern United States. The data were analyzed through moderated hierarchical regression analysis.

Findings

The results indicated that those experiencing separation or marginalization in trying to acculturate into the dominant culture reported experiencing uncivil behaviors from supervisors and coworkers. Also, one's awareness of incivility moderated the positive relationship between experience of separation and experiences of incivility, such that this relationship was stronger for those who had higher awareness of what constitutes uncivil behavior. Additionally, the effect of marginalization on reported incivility was dampened with higher levels of mentor holding behavior.

Originality/value

This study’s findings extend the application of the selective incivility theory beyond the minoritized categories of race and gender to the immigrants struggling with acculturation in organizations. Also, our study lends support to widening the theoretical lens for mentoring to include relational systems theory.

Measuring Bullying in Sexual Minorities: Testing Two Bullying Scales in an LGB Sample

The working experience for those in the sexual minority is not well understood, particularly with respect to interpersonal mistreatment based on sexual orientation. This study breaks new ground by utilizing a sample of 416 LGB working adults to assess the relative usefulness of two bullying measures (the Negative Acts Questionnaire-Revised (Person-Related) and the Homophobic Bullying Scale) to determine their convergent, discriminant, and criterion validity in predicting organizational commitment, turnover, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Results show that discriminant and convergent validity exist between these scales and both measure similar levels of perceived bullying (from the victim's perspective). We concluded that although there are similarities and differences between these measures, more research is needed to determine the most appropriate instrument to assess perceived bullying in a sexual minority population. Several areas for subsequent research are noted.

The Embodiment of Insult: A Theory of Biobehavioral Response to Workplace Incivility

This article builds a broad theory to explain how people respond, both biologically and behaviorally, when targeted with incivility in organizations. Central to our theorizing is a multifaceted framework that yields four quadrants of target response: reciprocation, retreat, relationship repair, and recruitment of support. We advance the novel argument that these behaviors not only stem from biological change within the body but also stimulate such change. Behavioral responses that revolve around affiliation and produce positive social connections are most likely to bring biological benefits. However, social and cultural features of an organization can stand in the way of affiliation, especially for employees holding marginalized identities. When incivility persists over time and employees lack access to the resources needed to recover, we theorize, downstream consequences can include harms to their physical health. Like other aspects of organizational life, this biobehavioral theory of incivility response is anything but simple. But it may help explain how seemingly "small" insults can sometimes have large effects, ultimately undermining workforce well-being. It may also suggest novel sites for incivility intervention, focusing on the relational and inclusive side of work. The overarching goal of this article is to motivate new science on workplace incivility, new knowledge, and ultimately, new solutions.

Examining the Interplay between Queerness and Teacher Wellbeing: A Qualitative Study Based on Foreign Language Teacher Trainers

Oftentimes, teachers who identify themselves as LGTBIQ+ may feel unsafe at work, which may upset their wellbeing and destabilize their key psychological traits. Hence, feelings such as insecurity, lack of self-confidence, anxiety, and fear are on loop in their everyday lives. Thus, in this study we pursued an examination of the interplay between sexual orientation and teacher wellbeing in a cohort of seven university foreign language teacher trainers in a Spanish context. To gain insight into this issue, a qualitative study in line with the ecological paradigm was designed for the elaboration of semi-structured in-depth interviews and for the analysis of results. The main findings display teacher wellbeing as a complex interwoven system in which sexual orientation had played a core role in their identities, competences, private and professional relationships, and in the cultural and political spheres. We conclude by stating that although homophobic discrimination was a hard trial to overcome, the psychosocial capital of the participants allowed them to transform this negativity into positive assets such as queer activism in their private and political lives and in their profession as foreign language teacher trainers.

Discrimination and Exclusion on Grounds of Sexual and Gender Identity: Are LGBT People's Voices Heard at the Workplace?

The review explores key issues associated with discrimination and hostility faced by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people at work and organizational responses to it. Starting from a description of the main challenges facing LGBT workers' identity management, the review examines manifestations of negative attitudes towards gender and sexual minority groups, highlighting processes of subtle discrimination and exclusion. It presents and critiques dominant organizational responses to LGBT stigmatization, highlighting the need for holistic, intersectional approaches, and pointing out issues requiring further research.

Selective incivility: an insidious form of discrimination in organizations

Purpose

This article serves as an introduction to four articles featured in a special issue on selective incivility in the workplace. This collection of papers addresses pressing issues around unpacking and tackling selective incivility in organizations.

Design/methodology/approach

This introductory article first highlights research in this area to date, provides a summary of the papers included in this special issue and ends with intriguing themes from the papers and ways in which they advance the field.

Findings

These papers reveal contextual factors that help us better understand selective incivility: group processes, workplace gender composition, status and power and modality (in-person or online incivility).

Originality/value

By bringing together four approaches to studying selective incivility, this special issue pushes the field forward, providing empirically based insights as well as compelling new research directions.

Spanish Validation of the Shorter Version of the Workplace Incivility Scale: An Employment Status Invariant Measure

Workplace Incivility (WI) occurs worldwide and has negative consequences on individuals and organizations. Valid and comprehensive instruments have been used, specifically in English speaking countries, to measure such adverse process at work, but it is not available a validated instrument for research carried out in Spanish speaking countries. In this study we aim to test the psychometric properties of the Matthews and Ritter’s four-item Workplace Incivility Scale (2016) with Spanish workers (N = 407) from different sectors. Participants’ mean age was 38.73 (SD = 10.45) years old and the percentage of female employees was 59.2%. Confirmatory factor analysis using AMOS 19.0 was carried out, presenting a good fit. The internal consistency, convergent and concurrent validity of the scale were examined. Results show good scale reliability and expected high correlations with social undermining. Moreover, the scale related to propensity to leave a job, job satisfaction, and psychological well-being in the expected way. After configural invariance across groups was established, testing for metric invariance and scalar invariance was performed. Considering Δχ² and ΔCFI tests for two nested models, the 4-item scale was invariant when the employment status is considered (permanent vs. temporal, full-time vs. part-time, and supervisor vs. non-supervisors). Overall, our findings showed good psychometric properties of the shorter version of the WIS in Spain. Theoretical and practical implications of this study are discussed.

Be Friendly, Stay Well: The Effects of Job Resources on Well-Being in a Discriminatory Work Environment

Many studies have focused on the negative effects of discrimination on workers’ well-being. However, discrimination does not affect just victims but also those people who witness discriminatory acts or who perceived they are working in a discriminatory work environment. Although perceiving a discriminatory work environment might be a stressor, the presence of job resources might counteract its negative effects, as suggested by the Job Demand-Resources model. The goal of this study is to test the effect of perceiving a discriminatory work environment on workers’ psychological well-being when job autonomy and co-workers and supervisor support act as mediator and moderators respectively. To test the moderated mediation model data were gathered with a sample of Italian 114 truckers. Results demonstrated that job autonomy partially mediates the relationship between perceiving a discriminatory work environment and workers’ well-being. Main interactional effects have been observed when co-workers support is introduced in the model as moderator, while no main interactional effects exist when supervisor support is introduced. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Approaching the Discriminatory Work Environment as Stressor: The Protective Role of Job Satisfaction on Health

Discrimination is a complex phenomenon with adverse consequences at personal and organizational levels. Past studies have demonstrated that workers who are victims of discrimination might show less job satisfaction, less organizational commitment and worse levels of health and productivity. Although most research has focused on the effects of discrimination on victims, less is known about the extent to which discrimination produces consequences on workers who perceive the existence of a discriminatory work environment. The goal of this article is to analyze the consequences of the perception of a discriminatory work environment on employees' health. The importance of this relationship is studied taking into account the mediating effect of job satisfaction. In order to reach this goal a cross-sectional study was carried out with a sample of 1633 Italian workers (male = 826, female = 764), employed in private and public sectors, and in different hierarchical positions. Results suggest that the perception of a discriminatory work environment is negatively associated with employees' health. This relationship is partially mediated by job satisfaction (R (2) = 0.17). This study demonstrates that perceiving a discriminatory work environment might have a negative impact on workers' health. A higher level of job satisfaction might buffer this effect. These findings have several practical implications. On the one hand, Human Resource Managers need to intervene in order to recognize and diminish implicit biases, creating a healthy and inclusive environment (e.g., through training, diversity policies, etc.). On the other hand, promoting job satisfaction (e.g., providing mechanisms of voice) might help workers to preserve their well-being, coping with the negative effects of a discriminatory work environment.