Unsociable speech: Critical discourses on cyber incivility from inside the non-profit sector in Canada
Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management
ISSN: 1746-5648
Article publication date: 4 December 2019
Issue publication date: 4 August 2020
Abstract
Purpose
Cyber incivility is a form of unsociable speech and a common daily workplace stressor. The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of cyber incivility on non-profit leaders in Canada and share an intimate portrait of their personal experiences and perceptions.
Design/methodology/approach
The study advances our understanding of how qualitative methods can be introduced into the study of a phenomenon which has been broadly examined in a positivist tradition. The paper draws epistemologically and methodologically on a fusion of critical discourse analysis and auto-ethnography to present emic and experiential insights.
Findings
The findings offer three conceptual contributions: to introduce a novel qualitative method to a dynamic field of study; to advance a critical dimension to our understanding of cyber incivility; and to explore the challenges which emerge when qualitative research must draw largely on positivist, quantitative literature. Additionally, this paper makes three contributions to our understanding of cyber incivility: by introducing organizational context conditions which encourage incivility; by identifying commonalities between incivility and bullying, by challenging the existing taxonomy; and by examining the personal experiences of non-profit leaders in Canada (in operationalized settings).
Originality/value
Quantitative analysis has been limited to the relationship between supervisor and employee and consisted mostly of cross-sectional self-report designs, online surveys and experimental manipulation in simulated workplace environments. This study serves up a deeper analysis from within organizational environments.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This study has been four years in the making and I have benefited from tremendous support during this time. I would like to thank Dr Catherine Loughlin who assisted me with the original ideation for this study and coached me through a successful conference presentation. I would also like to thank my supervisor, Dr Albert J. Mills and committee member, Dr Gabie Durepos, who encouraged me to take the study in a more personal direction, and to stretch my wings and my critical voice. I would also like to thank Dr Terry Weatherbee for his coaching and thoughtful support through various edits. I would like to thank the anonymous peer reviewers for their constructive feedback – this paper was made all the better for it. Finally, I would like to thank my colleagues in the sector. You shared deeply and personally and at times this sharing was raw and emotional. I am so grateful for your openness and it is because of you that this study makes a strong contribution to our understanding of not just cyber incivility, but our experience as leaders in non-profit organizations.
Citation
Williams, K.S. (2020), "Unsociable speech: Critical discourses on cyber incivility from inside the non-profit sector in Canada", Qualitative Research in Organizations and Management, Vol. 15 No. 3, pp. 349-369. https://doi.org/10.1108/QROM-04-2018-1625
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited