Not all uncivil behaviours are equal: exploring responses to incivility in veterinary practice using vignettes

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Medicine
• Occupational Psychology
• Human Resources

Background:

• Workplace incivility is a prevalent stressor with negative health outcomes.
• Limited research exists on how targets of incivility react.
• Understanding responses is crucial for mitigating adverse effects.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how veterinarians and veterinary nurses respond to workplace incivility.
• To analyze the influence of incivility type and instigator on response strategies.
• To examine the role of perception and appraisal in shaping responses.

Main Methods:

• Survey of 132 veterinarians and veterinary nurses.
• Evaluation of six incivility scenarios (direct vs. indirect; clients, co-workers, seniors).
• Assessment of incivility perception, appraisal, and potential responses.

Main Results:

• Direct incivility prompted reciprocation, exit, and support seeking.
• Indirect incivility led to affiliative and ignoring responses.
• Negative appraisal correlated with exit, avoidance, support seeking, and reporting.

Conclusions:

• Veterinary professionals employ diverse responses to incivility.
• Response strategies are context-dependent, influenced by incivility type and source.
• Perception and appraisal significantly shape how incivility is addressed.