Dissertations, Theses, and Capstone Projects

Date of Degree

9-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Program

Psychology

Advisor

Harold Goldstein

Committee Members

Zhiqing Zhou

Deepshikha Chaterjee

Lisa Kath

Wei Wang

Subject Categories

Industrial and Organizational Psychology

Keywords

LGBTQ+, workplace incivility, selective incivility, disclosure, alcohol consumption, burnout

Abstract

Workplace incivility refers to low-intensity rude behaviors at work that have an ambiguous intent to harm and also violate workplace norms of mutual respect. Given the negative consequences associated with workplace incivility, researchers have been trying to understand potential antecedents to experienced workplace incivility such as target characteristics or group affiliation. Prior research suggests that uncivil behaviors may not be enacted at random and may manifest in the form of selective incivility (i.e., subtle discrimination). Specifically, selective incivility is a form of targeted mistreatment that is used to oppress and exclude minorities in the workplace and is a unique experience encountered by employees of a minority group. Previous research on selective incivility has focused on the rate of such experiences by women and people of color, while other groups of minority identities (e.g., LGBTQ+ employees) are also at risk of such mistreatment. As such, this work aimed to test the prediction that LGBTQ+ employees experience more workplace incivility compared to cisgender/heterosexual employees (Study 1). In addition, this work examined the unique characteristics that may make LGBTQ+ employees more likely to become targets of selective incivility and the consequences of such experiences (Study 2). It was hypothesized that LGBTQ+ employees would report greater workplace incivility than cisgender/heterosexual employees and that degree of disclosure, a unique experience for LGBTQ+ employees, would positively predict selective incivility experience. In addition, it was hypothesized that selective incivility would negatively affect LGBTQ+ employees’ health/well-being outcomes (alcohol consumption, burnout, and job satisfaction), and that organizational based self-esteem (OBSE) and self-blame would mediate these relationships. Lastly, it explored perceived allyship and diversity and inclusion climate as moderators that buffer the effects of selective incivility on OBSE and self-blame.

Study 1 collected data from 876 participants (438 LGBTQ+ and 438 cisgender/heterosexual employees). The results from Study 1 were as expected, in that LGBTQ+ employees reported experiencing more workplace incivility than cisgender/heterosexual employees. Study 2 used a four-wave lagged design methodology with a one-month lag to collect data from an LGBTQ+ sample only. The final sample for Study 2 included 328 participants who completed all four surveys. The results from Study 2 suggest that counterfeiting disclosure behaviors positively predict selective incivility experience, while integrating disclosure behaviors did not. Additionally, selective incivility positively predicted alcohol consumption and burnout, but did not predict job satisfaction. Furthermore, the indirect effects of selective incivility on distal health/well-being outcomes (alcohol consumption, burnout, and job satisfaction) via OBSE were not significant. However, the indirect effects of selective incivility on burnout and job satisfaction (but not alcohol consumption) via self-blame were significant. Lastly, perceived allyship and diversity and inclusion climate did not moderate the relationships of selective incivility with OBSE or self-blame, respectively. Taken together, the findings from this study may help inform researchers and practitioners on how selective incivility toward LGBTQ+ employees unfold, thus improving the employee experience for this minority group.

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