Purpose The purpose of this study is to present an empirical account of the prevalence and socio-demographic determinants of workplace incivility (experienced and instigated) in the Indian workplace. Design/methodology/approach The study sample consisted of 1,133 employees working in service organizations mainly banks, hotels, academic institutions and information technology firms. The authors tested the proposed model on the same set of respondents in two different studies. The phenomenon of instigated incivility and its determinants were examined in Study 1, while Study 2 looked at experienced incivility and its antecedents. The data were analyzed using univariate, bivariate, and multivariate statistical operations in SPSS 24. Findings The results of both studies revealed that employees’ age, gender, educational qualification, position, nature of the organization, type of the organization and duration of working hours significantly predict the onset of workplace incivility. Nevertheless, marital status and tenure failed to predict the manifestation of uncivil behaviors in the organization. Research limitations/implications The scope of this study was restricted to the Indian service sector with a focus on only two types of workplace incivility (instigated and experienced). Practical implications The managers are advised to be mindful of employees’ socio-demographic differences while devising interventions to tackle the issues of uncivil acts at work. Originality/value This study is one of the pioneer attempts to explore the impact of socio-demographic factors on employees’ tendency to instigate and experience incivility at work in India. In doing so, the study enriches the scant literature on workplace incivility by establishing the role of individual differences in determining the occurrence of incivility in the workplace.

PurposeWith little empirical attention devoted to the consequences of loneliness in the workplace, the present study investigated the effect of workplace loneliness on creative performance, organizational citizenship behaviors and work-family family conflict. Furthermore, psychological capital was examined as a moderator of these relationships.Design/methodology/approachThe proposed model was tested in two different studies on a sample of employees from manufacturing (Sample 1: n = 379) and service (Sample 2: n = 559) organizations in India. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaires at two different points in time. Confirmatory factor analysis and multiple hierarchical regressions were used to test the hypothesized model.FindingsWhile workplace loneliness was found to negatively affect creative performance and organizational citizenship behavior, its impact on work-family conflict was positive. Results revealed a significant moderating effect of psychological capital on these relationships. Psychological capital buffered the impact of loneliness in a way that the detrimental effect of loneliness on performance behaviors was less severe for the individuals with high psychological capital.Originality/valueThe study makes an original and noteworthy contribution to the loneliness and negative emotions literature by advancing the understanding around the consequences and boundary conditions of loneliness in the workplace. It carries important implications for managing loneliness in the organizations by identifying psychological capital as an important personal resource for mitigating the effects of workplace loneliness on creativity and extra-role behaviors.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to trace the trajectory of research done exclusively on the topic of Workplace Loneliness from 2006 to 2019. Based on the content analysis of 29 articles, this paper critically assesses, summarizes and consolidates the existing body of knowledge in the field of workplace loneliness. Design/methodology/approach This review is organized around five major themes – origin and the conceptual grounding of the construct; emergence of the concept of workplace loneliness, conceptualizations and overlap with the related constructs; measurement tools and techniques; analysis of its predictors, outcomes, mediators and moderators; and development of an integrated model specifying the nomological network of workplace loneliness for clarifying the current state of thinking and guiding future research in the area. Findings The concept of workplace loneliness started receiving attention from the year 2006 and gained momentum in 2016. The studies from wide range of countries show that workplace loneliness is not restricted to one geographical location but is a phenomenon that affects people and economies around the world. The review highlights the conceptualization and measurement challenges along with the need for theoretical development of the field. Further, the existing literature fails to provide a comprehensive picture of the predictors, underlying processes, contingencies and outcomes of workplace loneliness. Originality/value This study being one of the rare attempts to consolidate the existing body of knowledge on loneliness at work will provide academicians and practitioners with a comprehensive account of the state of research and development on an important and yet neglected issue of workplace loneliness.

PurposeThis study was conducted with two main objectives: (1) to examine the prevalence of workplace loneliness in the Indian manufacturing and service sectors (2) to examine the influence of socio-demographic characteristics (age, gender, marital status, nature of the organization, tenure, number of friends at the workplace, and position in the organizational hierarchy) on the feeling of loneliness in the workplace.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from 934 employees working in manufacturing and service sectors across India. Regression analysis was used for hypotheses testing.FindingsFindings indicated below average level of loneliness in Indian workplace. Significant differences were found in workplace loneliness with respect to age, marital status and number of friends at the workplace. In contrast, gender, nature of organization, position and tenure had no effect on the feeling of workplace loneliness.Originality/valueThis study advances the limited literature on workplace loneliness by identifying its prevalence and socio-demographic determinants in Indian business organizations. It would help HR practitioners in comprehending and dealing with the emerging challenges associated with workplace loneliness.

No abstract