Impact of workplace incivility and emotional exhaustion on job outcomes – a study of the higher education sector

Abstract

PurposeThe main goal of this research study is to look at the mediating effect of emotional exhaustion in the association between workplace incivility and job outcomes (job stress, job satisfaction and employee turnover intentions) in the higher education sector.Design/methodology/approachThe authors gathered field data from individuals working in the Higher Education Sector of Jammu and Kashmir to test the proposed study paradigm. A total of 550 respondents reported their perceptions of workplace incivility, emotional exhaustion and job-related outcomes (job stress, job satisfaction and employee turnover intention) at Time 1 in the Kashmir division and Time 2 in the Jammu division of Jammu and Kashmir via a two-wave data collection design.FindingsThe findings supported the hypothesized relationships, demonstrating that emotional exhaustion acts as a mediator between workplace incivility and employee job outcomes (job stress, employee job satisfaction and employee intention to leave).Research limitations/implicationsThe research was undertaken in Jammu and Kashmir's higher education sectors. As a result, the findings may not apply to other sectors because workplace incivility may be regarded differently in different sectors.Practical implicationsThe findings of this research study will assist organizations and practitioners in comprehending the significance of workplace incivility and emotional exhaustion, as well as how they positively impact job-related outcomes (employee job stress, turnover intention) and negatively on job satisfaction.Originality/valueThis research study added to the existing Self-Determination Theory model developed by Deci and associates (2017) by incorporating Emotional Exhaustion, and workplace incivility as autonomous intrinsic and workplace context factors respectively into the SDT model to study work behaviors in terms of job outcomes. This study adds to existing knowledge on SDTs by suggesting and testing emotional exhaustion as a mechanism for determining the impact of workplace incivility on employee job outcomes.Contribution to impact