INVESTIGATING WORKPLACE INCIVILITY AS A RISK FACTOR FOR WORKPLACE BULLYING AND PSYCHOLOGICAL WELL-BEING OF EMPLOYEES IN CAMEROON ( A CASE OF CBCHB HEALTH CENTRE)

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

Incivility in the workplace is undesirable, yet it is more prevalent in environments where authority is not reported or acknowledged. When examining workplace bullying in nursing, it is evident that workplace incivility has an impact on patients, nurses, and other individuals associated with the nursing profession. The presence of workplace incivility contributes to elevated levels of tension, sadness, and anxiety among nurses (Lee et al., 2017; Stelmaschuk, 2020). However, the phenomenon of incivility has recently garnered significant attention from popular spheres worldwide. Perception has revealed that workplace harassment is a huge collective problem that has been causing detrimental effects on both employees and the firm as a whole. A consortium of healthcare providers revealed that a majority of employees are subjected to unprofessional conduct in numerous facets of their occupation. This occurrence can be of either direct or indirect significance, involving either the individual affected and the perpetrator, or occurring through a third party. One primary attribute of incivility is the deliberate disregard and violation of established workplace regulations. Each organization operates differently, yet they all have their own norms and expectations regarding appropriate behaviour among employees. This shared comprehension facilitates assistance throughout the organization. Acts of incivility undermine empathy and disrupt the well-being of the organization and its personnel (Andersson & Pearson, 2019; Lim, Cortina, & Magley, 2018). The second attribute of incivility is ambiguous intention. The intentions of the mastermind are not always evident to the target. The unpleasant behaviour may be deliberate, but it could also be attributed to unfamiliarity, misinterpretation, or the mastermind's personality (Andersson & Pearson, 2019). The third attribute of incivility is commonly known as "squat force." When compared to aggressive behaviours like bullying, incivility is less severe. Although incivility may have a weaker impact, it can still result un aggression and escalating disputes (Lim et al., 2018). Incivility is commonly seen as a type of psychological harassment and emotional aggression that goes against the workplace standards of mutual respect (Felblinger, 2018). It refers to the behaviour of coworkers and supervisors that causes employees to feel anxious or concerned in the workplace (Ismail, Zuryani, & Zakuon, 2022). Workplace incivility refers to impolite and unsociable behaviour exhibited in a work environment (Mcneice, 2018). On the other hand, workplace incivility often leads to employee attrition or decreased performance and productivity. Consequently, job satisfaction and loyalty will decrease as well (Greenberg, Sikora, Grunberg, & Moore). Workplace incivility is a significant concern for organisations that promote interpersonal ties among their employees (Rubino & Reed, 2020). The impact of work environment on employees' attitude, productivity, health, and relationships is evident (Batlett, Bartlett, & Reio Jr, 2018). While incivility and rudeness are not the sole elements influencing organisational performance and profit, they do have a significant impact (Crampton & Hodge, 2019). Their presence can impede the organization's ability to fulfil its goals (Ismail, Zuryani, & Zakuon, 2022). Psychological well-being involves effective psychological performance and encompasses the perception of engagement with existential encounters in life; for example, pursuing meaningful objectives, personal development, and to bond well with others (Johanim et al., 2018). Furthermore, workplace incivility has been noted to have the potential to escalate into more severe and aggressive behaviours if not dealt with, despite its initial low intensity (Xu, 2019). This indicates that workplace incivility may serve as a precursor to workplace bullying, however this relationship has not been examined through empirical research. Incivility has the potential to escalate into bullying if rude and condescending behaviour from colleagues or superiors in the workplace becomes consistent, recurrent, and deliberate over time. Similarly, Hershcovis (2020) has raised concerns about the lack of measurement of these variables, which are crucial in differentiating between incivility and bullying, in previous studies on each concept. However, some contend that the conceptions used in research studies have been difficult to differentiate from each other, making it challenging to draw conclusions about each sort of mistreatment (Sharma & Singh, 2018). This might be particularly troublesome because instances of workplace incivility and bullying are likely to co-occur. There is a lack of understanding on the specific outcomes of workplace incivility, considering that individuals who report incivility may also have experienced other forms of more severe abuse that have not been measured. Therefore, a survey will be conducted in order to investigate workplace incivility as a risk factor for workplace bullying and psychological well-being of employees in Cameroon.

1.2 Statement of the Problem

The prevalence of workplace incivility is steadily rising due to the complex nature of modern society. Each year, a substantial number of employees experience the negative effects of workplace incivility. Person and Porath (2018) found that workplace incivility is prevalent in several organizations, including government agencies, medical organizations, national sports organizations, academic institutions, and non-profit and for-profit organizations.Workplace incivility is defined as a form of aberrant behaviour characterized by low intensity and ambiguous purpose to injure the target, in violation of workplace norms for mutual respect, according to Anderson and Pearson's (2019) definition. They asserted that primitive behaviours are typically impolite, discourteous, and demonstrate a lack of consideration for fellow colleagues. Low-intensity refers to verbal occurrences rather than physical ones. Additionally, active and indirect kinds of behaviour are present (Pearson and Porath, 2020). Workplace incivility typically involves three individuals: the instigator, the target, and the spectator. These positions can overlap; an individual who serves as the instigator in one event could also be the target or spectator in another situation (Anderson and Pearson, 2019). Furthermore, Mehmood and Sajid (2020) found that workplace bullying negatively impacts the performance of frontline workers, namely female nurses, in AJ&K, Pakistan. They further disclose that workplace bullying diminishes the psychological well-being of employees, ultimately resulting in low employee performance, which negatively impacts the overall productivity of health-related organizations. Thus, it is in the light of these that the study seeks to investigate workplace incivility as a risk factor for workplace bullying and psychological well-being of employees in Cameroon.

1.3  Objectives of the Study

The main purpose of this study is to investigate workplace incivility as a risk factor for workplace bullying and psychological well-being of employees in Cameroon. Specifically, the study will;

1.Determine the extent of workplace incivility among employees in Cameroon.

2.Identify risk factors associated with workplace incivility among employees in Cameroon.

3.Ascertain the influence of workplace incivility on the psychological well-being of employees in Cameroon.

1.4 Research Questions

The following questions have been prepared for the study:

To what extent does workplace incivility occur among employees in Cameroon?

What are the risk factors associated with workplace incivility among employees in Cameroon?

How does workplace incivility influence the psychological well-being of employees in Cameroon?

1.5  Research Hypotheses

H0:  There is no significant relationship between workplace incivility and workplace bullying among employees in Cameroon.

Ha: There is a significant relationship between workplace incivility and workplace bullying among employees in Cameroon.

1.6  Significance of the Study

HR practitioners will utilize study findings to create training programmes and interventions that specifically target the promotion of respectful communication and behaviour inside the workplace. Additionally, they will have the ability to execute tactics aimed at resolving and averting workplace harassment while promoting the mental health of employees. Also, the findings will enable employees to identify and confront disrespectful conduct in their work environment, which may decrease the likelihood of harassment and enhance overall mental health. Furthermore, subsequent researchers will use it as a literature review. This means that other students who may decide to conduct studies in this area will have the opportunity to use this study as available literature that can be subjected to critical review. Invariably, the result of the study contributes immensely to the body of academic knowledge with regard to workplace incivility as a risk factor for workplace bullying and psychological well-being of employees in Cameroon.

1.7 Scope of the study

The scope of this study is boarded on workplace incivility as a risk factor for workplace bullying and psychological well-being of employees in Cameroon. Empirically, the study will examine the prevalence of workplace incivility in service industry of Cameroon, examine the impact of  workplace incivility on employees performance in service industry of Cameroon, investigate the elements that mediate the relationship between workplace incivility and employee performance and propose effective strategies for mitigating workplace incivility and enhancing employee performance in service industry of Cameroon.

Geographically, the study will be delimited to employees of CBCHB Health Centre, Ndu, Cameroon.

1.8 Limitation of the study

In the course of carrying out this study, the researcher experienced some constraints, which included time constraints, financial constraints, language barriers, and the attitude of the respondents. In addition, there was the element of researcher bias. Here, the researcher possessed some biases that may have been reflected in the way the data was collected, the type of people interviewed or sampled, and how the data gathered was interpreted thereafter. The potential for all this to influence the findings and conclusions could not be downplayed. More so, the findings of this study are limited to the sample population in the study area, hence they may not be suitable for use in comparison to other schools, local governments, states, and other countries in the world.

 1.9 Definition of Terms

Workplace Incivility: refers to the deliberate and consistent exhibition of rudeness and discourtesy, demonstrating a disregard for the well-being and feelings of others  (Cortina et al., 2021) .

Workplace bullying: is commonly defined as harassing, offending, or socially excluding someone repeatedly over time, where the target is in an inferior position, and systematically targeted by negative social acts (Einarsen, 2020).

Psychological well-being:  a state of mental well-being that is characterized by good emotions, the ability to bounce back from adversities, a feeling of purpose and satisfaction, healthy interpersonal connections, and the capacity to effectively manage stress.