Workplace Incivility and Its Impact on Innovative Work Behaviors: Self-Efficacy as a Mediator

Abstract

Workplace incivility, characterized by low-intensity deviant behaviors such as rudeness and disrespect, has become a universal issue in modern organizations, negatively impacting employee well-being and organizational effectiveness. This study investigates the impact of workplace incivility on innovative work behaviors (IWB), with self-efficacy as a mediating variable. Drawing on Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory, the research explores how self-efficacy employees' belief in their ability to perform tasks can mitigate the adverse effects of incivility on innovation. Using a cross-sectional design, data were collected from 299 employees in the education and healthcare sectors of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Pakistan through structured questionnaires. The findings reveal that workplace incivility significantly reduces both self-efficacy and innovative work behaviors. However, self-efficacy partially mediates this relationship, suggesting that employees with higher self-efficacy are more resilient to the negative effects of incivility and are better able to maintain their innovative behaviors. The study highlights the importance of fostering self-efficacy through training and supportive workplace policies to respond to the harmful effects of incivility. These results are relevant for organizations interested in facilitating innovation by confronting incivility at the workplace and strengthening workers' psychological resilience. The study enriches existing work on workplace dynamics and presents groundwork for further investigation on resilience and innovation under a problematic work environment.