Cyber incivility at the workplace: What has supervisor's sex got to do with it?

Abstract

This study examined the prevalence of cyber incivility as perpetrated by supervisors, its impact on individuals and the organization. Specifically, we examine whether working adults in Singapore experience cyber incivility when interacting with their supervisors via emails at the workplace. We also examine the impact of receiving uncivil emails from supervisors on employees' work and organizational attitudes. The effect of supervisor's gender on types of cyber uncivil behaviors were also investigated. Results suggested that male supervisors engaged in different kinds of cyber uncivil behaviors compared to female supervisors. Results of our study provided useful insights for researchers and managers in understanding the frequency and importance of email usage between employees and supervisors, as well as the role of information technology in facilitating cyber rudeness at the workplace.