This article builds a broad theory to explain how people respond, both biologically and behaviorally, when targeted with incivility in organizations. Central to our theorizing is a multifaceted framework that yields four quadrants of target response: reciprocation, retreat, relationship repair, and recruitment of support. We advance the novel argument that these behaviors not only stem from biological change within the body but also stimulate such change. Behavioral responses that revolve around affiliation and produce positive social connections are most likely to bring biological benefits. However, social and cultural features of an organization can stand in the way of affiliation, especially for employees holding marginalized identities. When incivility persists over time and employees lack access to the resources needed to recover, we theorize, downstream consequences can include harms to their physical health. Like other aspects of organizational life, this biobehavioral theory of incivility response is anything but simple. But it may help explain how seemingly “small” insults can sometimes have large effects, ultimately undermining workforce well-being. It may also suggest novel sites for incivility intervention, focusing on the relational and inclusive side of work. The overarching goal of this article is to motivate new science on workplace incivility, new knowledge, and ultimately, new solutions.

本文构建了一个广泛的理论来解释人们在组织中受到不文明行为时如何做出生理和行为反应。我们理论的核心是一个多方面的框架，它产生四个象限的目标反应：回报、撤退、关系修复和招募支持。我们提出了一个新颖的论点，即这些行为不仅源于体内的生物变化，而且还刺激了这种变化。围绕归属感并产生积极的社会联系的行为反应最有可能带来生物效益。然而，组织的社会和文化特征可能会阻碍归属感，特别是对于持有边缘化身份的员工而言。我们推测，当不文明行为持续存在并且员工无法获得恢复所需的资源时，下游后果可能包括对其身体健康的损害。与组织生活的其他方面一样，这种不文明反应的生物行为理论绝非简单。但这可能有助于解释看似“小”的侮辱有时会产生很大的影响，最终损害劳动力的福祉。它还可能建议新的不文明干预场所，重点关注工作的关系和包容性方面。本文的总体目标是激发关于工作场所不文明行为的新科学、新知识以及最终的新解决方案。