Purpose

This study aims to examine the role of leader-member exchange social comparison (LMXSC) perceptions in triggering the instigation of uncivil behavior in the workplace. This study also explores the intervening role of envy and the buffering role of aggression-preventive supervisor behavior within the proposed relationship.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected in two phases separated by an interval of four weeks. The final sample consisted of 224 full-time white-collar employees working in five large pharmaceutical manufacturing organizations in India.

Findings

The findings indicate that employees’ subjective perceptions of being involved in poorer-quality LMX relationships than their workgroup members generate envy, which, in turn, evokes them to instigate uncivil behaviors onto those higher-LMX counterparts. The indirect effect of LMX social comparison on instigated workplace incivility through envy gets attenuated when supervisors engage in aggression-preventive behavior.

Practical implications

To protect organizations from the financial and productivity losses associated with incivility, supervisors are encouraged to exhibit aggression-preventive behavior if they form differentiated exchange relationships with the subordinates in their teams. Supervisors are further advised to avoid the altogether neglect of lower-LMX subordinates as doing so may give rise to negative emotions (envy) and behavior (incivility) among them.

Originality/value

This study expands the limited body of knowledge on the antecedents of uncivil employee behavior in the workplace. Specifically, it unveils that incivility toward coworkers may be stemming from unfavorable LMX social comparisons and ensuing negative emotions such as envy. It also offers insights on reducing uncivil behavior by highlighting that the impact of LMXSC and envy on incivility instigation gets buffered in the presence of aggression-preventive supervisor behavior.

中文翻译：

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领导者-成员之间进行社会比较可以引发不文明的员工行为吗？预防侵略性监督者行为的缓冲作用

目的

这项研究旨在检验领导者-成员交流社会比较（LMXSC）观念在触发工作场所不文明行为中的作用。这项研究还探讨了在所建议的关系中嫉妒的干预作用和预防攻击的主管行为的缓冲作用。

设计/方法/方法

数据收集分为两个阶段，每个阶段相隔四个星期。最终样本包括在印度五个大型制药生产组织工作的224名全职白领员工。

发现

研究结果表明，员工对与工作组成员相比质量较差的LMX关系的主观感知引起嫉妒，这反过来又激发了他们向那些较高LMX的同事煽动不文明的行为。当主管进行预防攻击行为时，LMX社会比较对通过嫉妒促使工作场所不活跃的间接影响会减弱。

实际影响

为了保护组织免受因不文明行为造成的财务和生产力损失，如果上级与团队中的下属形成有区别的交换关系，则鼓励他们表现出侵略性行为。进一步建议主管避免完全忽视下层LMX下属，因为这样做可能会引起他们之间的负面情绪（嫉妒）和行为（不文明）。

创意/价值

这项研究扩大了关于工作场所不文明员工行为前因的有限知识体系。具体而言，它揭示了对同事的不友善可能是由于不利的LMX社会比较以及随之而来的诸如嫉妒之类的负面情绪造成的。它还通过强调在存在防攻击性监督者行为的情况下，缓冲了LMXSC和嫉妒对不文明行为的影响，从而提供了减少不文明行为的见解。