A study on workplace incivility, interpersonal conflict, general self-efficacy and their effect on creativity and performance in India’s construction sector

Purpose Workplace incivility (WpI) and interpersonal conflict (IC) bear significant fallouts for employees and organizations. This paper aims to examine the impact of WpI, mediated by IC, on Creativity (CRVTY) and Individual Work Performance (IWP) of employees. In addition, the moderating role of General Self-Efficacy (GSE) is examined in the relationship between IC–CRVTY and IC–IWP relationships. Design/methodology/approach Data were collected from 542 employees working in various organizations of the construction industry of India using time-lagged surveys. The analysis was carried out using IBM SPSS Statistics Version 22 and IBM SPSS Amos Version 24 software. Findings The results show that IC partially mediates both WpI–CRVTY and WpI–IWP relationships. In addition, GSE is found to significantly moderate IC–CRVTY and IC–IWP relationships. Originality/value This study is one-of-a-kind in exploring the impact of both WpI and IC in the construction industry of India, a sector that has received limited attention in this context. In addition, this study reveals how in scenarios of both low and high IC, employees with high GSE exhibit better performance and creativity compared to those with low GSE. This research not only contributes to the understanding of WpI and IC dynamics but also highlights the importance of fostering GSE to improve employee outcomes in the construction industry.