Conquering Workplace Anxiety Through Civility

Research reveals how to weather the workplace whirlwind.

Reviewed by Abigail Fagan

Key points

• Personal kindness improves the ability to withstand the challenges of professional life.
• Women appear to experience more incivility than men.
• Courtesy and kindness improve the ability to handle change in the workplace.

In a challenging economy, one thing modern employees can predict with certainty is change. From company restructuring to closures, layoffs to payouts, employees balance economic challenges with the feasibility of remote work, flexibility, and other benefits. But managing change depends not only on a paycheck but the value of personal relationships in the workplace. Research explains.

Weathering Workplace Winds of Change

Annamaria Di Fabio et al. (2016) studied the impact of workplace relational civility on well-being and acceptance of change.[i] They begin by noting the modern reality of the world of work, which they describe as characterized by instability, globalization, and change—which is unavoidable. They note the importance of organizations intentionally cultivating a positive relational environment which can enable workers to develop personal resources that will enable them to withstand changes in the workplace to promote personal well-being.

Specifically, Di Fabio et al. examined the relationship between workplace relational civility, well-being, and acceptance of change beyond the impact of different personality traits. Studying 261 Italian workers, they found that workplace relational civility accounted for a percentage of variance beyond the effect of personality traits as it impacted acceptance of change, as well as meaning and satisfaction in life.

Di Fabio et al. recognize that a positive workplace relational environment will help workers enhance their psychological strengths, helpful for both managing relationships and welcoming ongoing workplace evolution. They note that employees who practice workplace relational civility are better able to face and cope with critical issues of change within their organizations, and accepting change through positive relationality can help people successfully react and respond to the complexity of modern work in the twenty-first century.

Overall, Di Fabio et al. found that relational civility within an organizational environment improves identification of meaning in work, encouraging the pursuit of meaningful goals. In this fashion, positive professional relationships contribute to professional self-realization, cultivating healthy employees for healthy organizations.

Countering Incivility Through Social Support

If civility improves the ability to withstand change, it is important to enhance methods of restoring civility—which may be experienced differently for men and women. Annamaria Di Fabio and Mirko Duradoni (2019) recognize that more women than men are subjected to workplace incivility, defined as “low-intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target.”[ii] Why is incivility becoming more common? They note that the impact of globalization, technological advancements, and rapid economic changes on the modern workplace experience may contribute to feeling stressed, because coping with continuous change can be taxing. They also note that work and information overload can increase perceived time pressure, which can prompt workers to behave in a fashion that is less polite.

Di Fabio and Duradoni recognize that experiencing incivility can cause depression, lower self-esteem, and a decreased sense of well-being. Not surprisingly, incivility is negatively associated with psychological well-being as well as job and life satisfaction. For women, Di Fabio and Duradoni note that the negative association between incivility and job satisfaction is stronger than the relationship between sexual aggression and job satisfaction (citing Lapierre et al., 2005).

On the bright side, Di Fabio and Duradoni conclude by recognizing the relevance of social support, demonstrating that positive and supportive workplace relationships can reduce mistreatment and buffer the adverse effects of incivility, as well as stress in general. It is no surprise that receiving social support from supervisors as well as co-workers increases job satisfaction.