Two-dimensional assessments of civility and incivility at work

Civility and incivility are two multifaceted constructs that can be difficult to assess in a nuanced way. Previous studies have only utilized unidimensional assessments, which may have yielded partially misleading results and conclusions.

The aims of the current mixed methods study were to investigate the 4-week prevalence of civility and incivility in a sample in the Swedish retail sector, and to assess if two-dimensional assessments can yield more nuanced interpretations of the civility and incivility constructs. The cross-sectional study included 1,014 employees out of which about 41% responded to the whole questionnaire and 59% answered it almost entirely or partially; approximately 50% responded to the civility and incivility questions presented in the current study.

The 4-week prevalence of incivility was approximately 62%, which is lower than in previous studies. Two-dimensional civility and incivility assessments and open-ended questionnaire responses demonstrate that these constructs can be interpreted in a more nuanced way. The notion that civility or incivility, mostly, or on average, is associated with positive or negative experiences does not necessarily mean that it applies for everyone.

This insight becomes particularly important when assessments are used as a basis for efforts to systematically ensure good and healthy work environments. Scientifically, the results implicate the importance of using two-dimensional assessments for more accurate and nuanced conclusions. In occupational settings, dialogues need to be conducted to understand the true meaning of assessments to enable adequate actions based on accurate conclusions, rather than preconceived notions.