Interactional Injustice, Stress, and the Rise of Coworker Incivility: A Time-Lagged Study in the Banking Sector of Pakistan

Abstract

The study aims to examine the relationship between interactional injustice and perceived coworker incivility directly and through stress, building on stress-appraisal theory. The theory provides the framework for how individuals interpret and respond to stressors. The time-lagged study design was used to collect data from 192 bank employees, and data was analyzed by developing and testing a structural model in AMOS. The finding reveals that interactional injustice and stress are positively related to perceived coworker incivility. Moreover, the stress significantly mediated the relationship between interactional injustice and perceived coworker incivility. The primary novelty of the current study lies in developing a framework that identifies the antecedent of coworker incivility and the mechanism that breeds incivility at work. In this way, the current study offers actionable insights for managers to foster fair interpersonal treatment in the workplace that can reduce stress and perceived coworker incivility. Moreover, the current study was conducted in Pakistan's banking sector. Future research may be conducted in other sectors to generalize the findings.