In their own words: Social work faculty discuss incivility

Abstract

Despite the detrimental effects of incivility in the workplace, relatively little research examines peer-level incivility in social work education. Incivility literature from multiple countries has established that within the academy, individuals’ bad behaviors coupled with nonexistent, weak, and inconsistent institutional policies as causes of the problem. This study analyzes qualitative data (n = 164) drawn from a larger survey (n = 243) collected from faculty members in social work education programs in the United States. The study explores personal experiences with incivility among social work faculty. In addition to the professional and personal impact of workplace incivility, three other themes emerge from these data: a discussion on how incivility occurs, the causes of incivility, and the role power and hierarchies have in supporting environments where these behaviors thrive. This study finds that incivility within social work education has negative long-term outcomes with implications for future job prospects, hiring decisions, and tenure and promotion. These data also confirm that consequences of microaggressions in the workplace are as harmful as overt acts of incivility. The study concludes with opportunities for leaders in social work education to identify and address individual behaviors while also assessing and addressing institutional oversight and response systems.