Civility climate mitigates deviant reactions to organizational constraints

Purpose – Research has consistently shown that organizational constraints lead to deviant behavioral reactions. Although many studies have investigated personality variables as moderators of such predictors of deviance, considerably less research has considered cross-level moderators of these effects. The purpose of this paper is to draw on several related theories to test team civility climate as a cross-level moderator of the organizational constraints – interpersonal deviance relationship. Design/methodology/approach – Data were collected using paper-and-pencil surveys from 239 employees nested within 68 work teams. Teams were employed in various industries including healthcare, insurance, manufacturing/engineering, and financial services. Findings – Results from hierarchical linear modeling analyses demonstrated that the effect of organizational constraints on interpersonal deviance varied significantly across teams. In addition, the positive relationship between organizational constraints and interpersonal deviance was attenuated in teams with a high civility climate. Practical implications – Organizational constraints may be difficult to eliminate in many workplaces. However, results suggest that by developing a positive civility climate, teams can help prevent deviant behaviors that may be associated with experienced constraints. Originality/value – This is one of the first studies to examine civility climate as a shared property of the team and as a cross-level moderator. Findings from this research contribute to theories of deviant organizational behavior by highlighting the critical role of variables emanating from levels of analysis beyond the individual.