Abstract:
Workplace incivility is a deviant workplace behavior, conceptualized as an emotionally demanding stressor, with harmful consequences for individual and organizational well-being. The broad objective of this research was to assess the loss process of conservation of resources theory, the work-home conflict process proposed by the work-home resources framework, and the health impairment process of the job demands-resources model at a daylevel. Specifically, this diary study examined how one particular workplace emotional demand – workplace incivility – consumes energies throughout the day, spilling over into the home domain impairing opportunities for recovery, directly and indirectly through exhaustion and engagement. Additionally, the buffering role of two resources – workplace friendship and optimism – against the adverse effects of incivility was examined. Ninety-seven New Zealand and United States’ participants from various occupational backgrounds completed surveys across five consecutive working days with three measurement occasions per day. Multilevel modeling results revealed that daily incivility was associated with higher exhaustion, and in turn impaired three of the four night-time recovery experiences – psychological detachment, relaxation, and control over leisure time. Incivility was not related to mastery experiences or engagement. Partially supporting predictions, engagement was positively related to the recovery experiences of mastery and control, but not detachment or relaxation. As anticipated, workplace friendship buffered the relationship between incivility and both detachment and relaxation. However, friendship did not moderate the relationships between incivility and mastery, control, exhaustion, or engagement. In contrast to predictions, optimism boosted, rather than buffered the effect of incivility on detachment, control, exhaustion, and engagement. No significant interaction effects were observed for incivility and optimism on relaxation or mastery. These findings suggest that workplace friends serve as a crucial resource which, when present, offsets the adverse effects of incivility, enabling individuals to mentally disconnect and unwind after work. On days when individuals are highly engaged, they feel more in control over their leisure time and partake in effortful, yet rewarding mastery experiences after work. This research provides practical implications for organizations and employees, who can both contribute to creating a positive working environment.