How workplace incivility influences job performance: the role of image outcome expectations

This study aimed to investigate whether workplace incivility has negative influences on two types of job performance (i.e. in-role job performance and innovative job performance), as well as the moderating role of image outcome expectations in the context of healthcare organizations. We tested the research hypotheses using data collected from 727 employees in three Chinese hospitals. The results reveal that workplace incivility has negative influences on both in-role job performance and innovative job performance. In addition, the negative influence of workplace incivility on in-role job performance is alleviated by expected image risks, while the negative influence of workplace incivility on innovative job performance is buffered by both expected image gains and risks. Managers are expected to establish informal norms of desired behaviors at work and encourage employees to adopt a future-oriented perspective. This study provides novel insights for workplace incivility literature and practice.