MIT Sloan Management Review Article on A Little Rudeness Goes a Long Way

As the COVID-19 pandemic lingers, so too do exceedingly high levels of stress and uncertainty in the workforce. Hopes for an imminent return to a “normal” workplace have evaporated. Even in the best of circumstances, companies and their employees face many unknowns: How will they fare under hybrid work models longer term? How else will they need to adapt to survive and compete in a changing landscape? Will their businesses weather other unexpected crises? If they do, how will roles change? Whose jobs will be safe?

All of this takes a psychological and behavioral toll: Research shows that uncertain environments make people more likely to engage in rude, uncivil, and disrespectful behavior — and they make targets of incivility more vulnerable to it.

About the Author

Shannon G. Taylor is a professor of management at the University of Central Florida, where he teaches and researches leadership and workplace mistreatment. Lauren R. Locklear (@lo_locklear) is an assistant professor of management in the Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University, where she studies interpersonal relationships at work.