Did they mean that? The effect of cyber incivility on older worker vitality, vigor, and turnover

Abstract

Purpose

Incivility can be used to target minority groups as a form of discrimination. This paper aimed to assess the extent to which older workers are particularly targeted by cyber incivility.

Design/methodology/approach

Study 1 used a cross-sectional design via an online crowdsourcing platform (N = 208). Study 2 (N = 227) employed a daily diary approach with an age diverse sample.

Findings

Age does not directly affect perceptions of cyber incivility, but moderates the relationships between cyber incivility and vitality and vigor. In Study 1, older workers experienced a weaker relationship between perceptions of cyber incivility and increased reports of vigor. Conversely, in Study 2, older workers who experienced cyber incivility reported reduced daily vitality both on the same day and the following day.

Originality/value

The discussion explores the nuances of vigor and vitality in older workers. Additionally, despite research on selective incivility, these studies suggest that while older workers may not be selectively targeted for cyber incivility, they struggle more with its repercussions.

Citation

Baker, C.L., De Bruin, R. and Finkelstein, L.M. (2024), "Did they mean that? The effect of cyber incivility on older worker vitality, vigor, and turnover", Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/EDI-04-2024-0135