Incivility Unleashed: Understanding Workplace Deviance Through the Lens of Loneliness

Abstract

One subtle but widespread form of abuse that has a big impact on employee behavior and organizational results is workplace incivility. This study examines the relationship between workplace incivility and workplace deviance, with a particular emphasis on the mediating function of loneliness in the context of Pakistan's IT sector. The research, which is based on the Conservation of Resources (COR) Theory, suggests that rudeness saps workers' social and emotional reserves and causes loneliness, which in turn fuels abnormal workplace conduct. Data was gathered by means of a standardized survey administered to workers at Pakistani IT companies. According to the results, there is a positive correlation between deviance and workplace rudeness, and loneliness plays a substantial mediating role in this relationship. These findings highlight the crucial part that the depletion of social and emotional resources plays in forming unfavorable workplace habits. By extending COR theory to highlight the mediating role of loneliness and by offering cross-cultural insights into the dynamics of rudeness and deviance in a collectivist culture, the study provides significant theoretical contributions. Organizations must implement anti-incivility training to combat workplace incivility, encourage social connections to fight loneliness, and support employees' emotional health to lower workplace deviance, among other practical implications. These results provide practical suggestions for creating healthier work environments, raising employee satisfaction, and boosting productivity.