CAMBRIDGE, Mass.–There are “social implications,” both good and bad, that leaders need to understand before adopting a long-term policy of cyber-work environments, according to new findings from researchers.
“Of particular concern is how diverse teams can come together, forge connections, and collaborate effectively in online environments,” the Harvard Business Review stated. “Our research on selective incivility — subtle slights, interruptions, and disregard experienced by women, members of racial minorities, and other marginalized employees — demonstrates that incivility is damaging to performance and deteriorates team functioning.
“Virtual spaces are uniquely susceptible to this form of insidious behavior, as online team meetings, chatrooms, and team management spaces provide ample opportunity for disrespect to thrive,” the researchers continued. “Managers need to be keenly aware of how incivility manifests online in order to create spaces that include all voices and diverse contributions.”
According to the research conducted by Dr. Dana Kabat-Farr of Dalhousie University in Halifax Canada, and Dr. Isis H. Settles and Dr. Lilia M. Cortina of the University of Michigan, the research on workplace incivility shows that while most people experience rudeness at some point, employees of color, LGBTQIA employees, and those with other marginalized identities experience it more often.
“In an online environment, it’s even easier to act uncivilly: Physical distance makes us feel separated from one another, and there are few consequences for bad actors,” the researchers said. “Organizations often brush off these rude experiences as unimportant, or worse yet, consider it ‘just the ways things are done around here.’ The crucial problem for a diverse workforce is that these trivialized experiences also translate into poor work and mental health outcomes for those at the receiving end. And when incivility becomes a daily hassle, marginalized members take that as a cue that they’re not respected or valued, and they may leave the organization all together.”
Incivility is particularly damaging due to its ambiguous nature — that is, it’s often unclear whether the person slighting another intends harm, the researcher added.
What Managers Can Do
According to Harvard Business Review, organizations are increasingly sinking major financial investments into diversity trainings and implicit bias workshops, but the ROI may not be there.
“While these may be beneficial in educating employees about the fundamental facts of company policies, laws, and psychological processes, research suggests that they do little to create the type of inclusive environments necessary to have a healthy and productive diverse workforce,” HBR stated. “How connections are forged and maintained in a virtual environment will rely on some intentional efforts by managers.
“Leaders can use microinterventions — everyday words and deeds that counteract, change, or stop subtle discrimination — to create contexts where selective incivility is less likely and that provide an avenue for apology and growth when infractions do occur,” the HBR report continued. “Incivility prevention and intervention is crucial in fostering the productive and inclusive teams that many organizations are striving for as they implement their remote or hybrid work plans. Here are our best pieces of advice for conducting virtual work that will cultivate positive relationships among your team.”
The researchers also called for managers to make the expectation for respectful interactions explicit.