Sharifirad, M. S. (2016). "Can incivility impair team's creative performance through paralyzing employee's knowledge sharing? A multi-level approach." Leadership & Organization Development Journal 2: 200-225.

Format: Peer-reviewed journal article

Type: Non-experimental study

Experience level of reader: Fundamental

Annotation: Novel ideas that spurn progress come about due to creative thinking. Research has identified facilitators of creativity: supervisor’s behavior, developmental feedback, and creative self-efficacy. Previous studies make a positive correlation between supervisor support and subordinates’ productivity. This paper looks at the inverse, uncivil behaviors in peers and managers as it affects creative work and knowledge sharing. Incivility is, “Low intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect”.  This includes behaviors like physical aggression, sexual harassment, and social exclusion.

Setting(s) to which the reported activities/findings are relevant: Community, Federal Lab, Government, Large business, Small business, University.

Knowledge user(s) to whom the piece of literature may be relevant: Policy makers, Clinicians, Brokers, Manufacturers, Developers, Intermediaries, Users, Advocates, and Researchers.

Knowledge user level addressed by the literature: Individual, Organizations.

This article uses the Commercial Devices and Services version of the NtK Model

Barriers:

• Incivility in managers is correlated to lost productivity, decreased job satisfaction and decreased likelihood of knowledge sharing.
  Survey findings
  Occurrences within model: NtK 2.3, 3.2, KTA 3.C
• Incivility in a work setting reinforces isolation, thereby reducing dialogue.
  Survey findings
  Occurrences within model: NtK 2.3, KTA 3.C
• People invest time and effort appraising negative workplace situations, which disrupts work and diminishes creative capacity.
  Survey findings
  Occurrences within model: NtK 1.3, 1.5, 2.3

Carriers:                     

• Elaboration is an aspect of the creative process where new ideas are related to preexisting information.
  Survey findings
  Occurrences within model: NtK 1.3
• Trust is an important component of collaborative research and development because knowledge sharing relies on a perceived even exchange (social exchange theory).  
  Survey findings
  Occurrences within model: NtK 2.2, 3.1, KTA 3.C
• Knowledge sharing provides opportunities for mutual learning, creating new knowledge and facilitating novel ideas.
  Survey findings
  Occurrences within model: NtK 3.2, 3.9, KTA 3.E, KTA 3.G

Tips:

• Methods: Incivility in the workplace is defined as, “low intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect”.
  Survey findings
  Occurrences within model: NtK 2.3, KTA 3.C