Rudeness In The Workplaces Is Contagious

Previous studies have shown that yawning can be contagious. But did you know that the same can be true for rudeness?

New findings published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found that the workplace environment can oftentimes lead to uncouth behavior. Furthermore, researchers found that encountering rude behavior at work made people more likely to perceive rudeness in later interactions, which makes them more likely to be impolite in returning and spreading rudeness.

For the study, researchers tracked 90 graduate students practicing negotiation with classmates. Those who rated their initial negotiation partner as ruder were more likely to be rated as rude by a subsequent partner as they passed along the first partner's rudeness. Furthermore, the effect continued even after a week elapsed between the first and second negotiations.

"Part of the problem is that we are generally tolerant of these behaviors, but they're actually really harmful," said lead study author Trevor Foulke, in a statement. "Rudeness has an incredibly powerful negative effect on the workplace."

The study findings reveal just how everyday impoliteness can spread like wildfire in the workplace, but also how those who experience rudeness firsthand and employees who witness it more are also likely to be rude to others.

Researchers also discovered that when study participants watched a video of a rude workplace interaction and answered a fictitious customer email that was in a neutral tone, they were more likely to be hostile in their responses than those who viewed a polite interaction before responding.

"When you experience rudeness, it makes rudeness more noticeable," said Foulke. "You'll see more rudeness even if it's not there."

Foulke noted that he hopes that future studies will encourage employers to take incivility more seriously.

"You might go your whole career and not experience abuse or aggression in the workplace, but rudeness also has a negative effect on performance," he added. "It isn't something you can just turn your back on. It matters."

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