Tit for tat? The spiraling effect of incivility in the workplace

In this article we introduce the concept of workplace incivility and explai n how incivility can potentially spiral into increasingly intense aggressiv e behaviors. To gain an understanding of the mechanisms that underlie an "i ncivility spiral," we examine what happens at key points: the starting and tipping points. Furthermore, we describe several factors that can facilitat e the occurrence and escalation of an incivility spiral and the secondary s pirals that can result. We offer research propositions and discuss implicat ions of workplace incivility for researchers and practitioners.