Question

A researcher is very interesyin understanding how different sources (parameters) of incivility at work influence employees’ mental health. She measures the level of incivility recieved from each source using items from Cortina and colleges (2001) Workplace Incivility Questionnaires. To obtain participants, she posts the study on the online bonus system at her university. Where studeycan sign up to take parts in studies to earn bonus points in their psychology classes. Describe 3 specific threats to external validity that might exist in this study. Clearly outline why they are threats?

Answer 1

Workplace incivility is is rude behaviour shown by an employee to his co-workers or superiors. This causes a bad working environment that discourages employees to perform effectively. Continued display of incivility should be criticised and employee should be formal notice of termination upon repetition of the same.

These incvil threats might be due to ;

• Privacy invasion

Here the co-worker doesn't recognise or respect one comfort zone and intrudes his/her privacy. This causes an obvious distress call by the victim and the word gets around about the incident. This leads to a bad rapport and the guilty actually not understanding his mistakes backfires at everyone for avoiding him. Hence the ruckus.

• Unfriendly communication.

Office is a place where many adults try to work together to achieve a common target that is in the firm's interest, and get paid for doing so in return. Now this requires every employee to have a friendly communications with each other to be able to work together. If employees fail in doing so it will achieve no work and the workplace becomes a dull one where no-one feels comfortable working.

• Bullying and harrassment

Bullying and harrassment are non verbal form of incivility that is most disruptive of its counterparts. Here the seniors or boss use their positions to exploit their juniors. Not only this breaks am employees morale for learning and working but also make them depressed. These cases should actually be reported to the law and the employee should not leave the job but sue the firm or the culprit. This would ensure no repetition of such low level incivil activities in workplace.