Your Care Mitigates My Ego Depletion: Why and When Perfectionists Show Incivility Toward Coworkers

Abstract

Drawing on ego depletion theory and trait activation theory, this study examines why and when employee perfectionism personality is linked with incivility toward coworkers. The study indulges ego depletion as a mediator between perfectionism personality and incivility toward coworkers, with coworker empathic concern moderating the relationship between perfectionism personality and ego depletion. A three-waved questionnaire was incorporated with sample of 253 employee-coworker dyads. Our findings demonstrate that dimensions of perfectionism personality are positively associated with incivility toward coworkers. In addition, our study confirms that ego depletion mediates the relationship between self-oriented perfectionism, other-oriented perfectionism, and incivility toward coworkers. Furthermore, our study shows that high levels of coworker empathic concern weakens the direct effect of self-oriented perfectionism on ego depletion along with the indirect effect of self-oriented perfectionism on incivility toward coworkers. Theoretical and practical implications of the study are discussed in the organizational context.

“Perfectionism is a debacle” how a perfectionist leader hinders in business processes? A multiple mediated model

“…However, sequential mediation was confirmed in the study. The results of current study related to hypothesis 1 are aligned with previous research, where it has been identified that perfectionist leaders sometimes turn uncivil toward their followers to take maximum output (Hussain et al ., 2021; Raza et al ., 2021). Individual employees who encounter the uncivil behavior of their leaders tend to convey rude behavior toward their organization because of the depletion of psychological resources (Yam et al ., 2014).…”

“…(2020), who reported the significant relationship between perfectionist leaders and workplace incivility. Similarly, Hussain et al . (2021) described that perfectionist leader are sometimes identified as the source of workplace incivility.…”

“…The results supported that such leaders are commonly involved in incivility and are aligned with prior studies such as Taheri et al (2020), who reported the significant relationship between perfectionist leaders and workplace incivility. Similarly, Hussain et al (2021) described that perfectionist leader are sometimes identified as the source of workplace incivility. Stoeber (2015) linked perfectionist leaders with workplace incivility and supported that perfectionist leaders are narcissistic, so they remain focused on accomplishing tasks by adopting uncivil behavior.…”

“…Psychological detachment is identified as the attitude of an individual employee where they detach themselves from work-related activities, subsequently, procrastinate in work-related activities. Hussain et al (2021) investigated the link between psychological detachment and procrastination and found a significant impact of psychological detachment on procrastination. Similarly, He et al (2022) also revealed a significant impact of psychological detachment and procrastination.…”

Investigating the Role of Ethical Leadership on Employee Innovativeness through Bottom-Up Job Redesigning: Self-Leadership as a Catalyst

“…Therefore, future scholars consider the dual-stage moderated mediation approach by applying dual moderators at the first and second stages. For instance, at the second stage, moderator researchers may encompass empathic concern further to signify the relationship between EL-IWB [66]. Further, future studies may use longitudinal data to draw inferences based on conceptual underpinning.…”