Effects of Anger and Moral Identity on the Relationship between Supervisors’ Incivility and Deviant Behavior: A Study of Public Service Officers in Republic of Korea

Yong Hyun Kim, Seung Yeon Son and Seung-Wan Kang
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Yong Hyun Kim: Republic of Korea Army, Daejeon 34059, Korea
Seung Yeon Son: Graduate School of Defense Management, Korea National Defense University, Nonsan 33021, Korea
Seung-Wan Kang: College of Business, Gachon University, Seongnam 13120, Korea

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 20, 1-12

Abstract: This study investigated the effects of supervisors’ incivility regarding employees’ deviant behavior, the mediating effect of anger, and the moderating role of moral identity in the relationship between incivility and deviant behavior. To test our hypotheses, we collected data from supervisor–employee dyads in South Korean military units, applying a time-lagged design, hierarchical regression, and SPSS macro. The results elicited three relevant findings. First, supervisors’ incivility was found to positively influence employees’ deviant behavior. Second, employees’ anger was confirmed to have a mediating effect between supervisors’ incivility and employees’ deviant behavior. Third, the analysis demonstrated that moral identity moderates the relationship between anger and deviant behavior, and incivility through anger has an indirect effect on deviant behavior. These findings imply that supervisors’ incivility, which is readily observed within the organization, is a harmful behavior that increases anger and deviant behavior. These findings suggest that negative leadership should be minimized and employees with high moral identity should be selected to reduce deviant behavior that harms the organization.

Keywords: incivility; anger; moral identity; deviant behavior; social exchange (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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