Navigating workplace incivility: the role of spitefulness and camaraderie in shaping employee renqing behavior – a mixed-method inquiry

Purpose Renqing, which refers to complex social ties marked by the reciprocal exchange of favors, including money, goods, services or knowledge has gained immense relevance in the Chinese context. Despite the significant traction, the effect of workplace incivility on employee renqing behavior among academicians has been underexplored. With this background, the purpose of the paper was to conduct an exploratory, sequential mixed method study. Study 1 comprised of thirteen semi-structured interviews to explore the constraints and enablers of employee renqing behavior. Using the findings of qualitative study and drawing on affective events theory and social exchange theory, the authors developed and tested a model. Study 2 examined the mediating effect of spitefulness on the relationship between workplace incivility and employees’ renqing behavior among academicians. It also assesses the moderating effects of camaraderie. Design/methodology/approach Study 1 was carried out using data collected from 13 academicians. In study 2, data was gathered from 280 academicians and was analyzed using SPSS, AMOS and PROCESS macros. Findings Study 1 revealed that spitefulness is a constraint to renqing behavior whereas employee camaraderie enhances renqing behavior. Study 2 found out that workplace incivility impacts the renqing behavior of employees directly and through spitefulness. The relationship between workplace incivility and spitefulness was found to be moderated by employee camaraderie. The research concluded that when employees had the highest level of camaraderie, the indirect influence of workplace incivility on their renqing behavior via spitefulness was lessened. Originality/value This study offers a novel contribution by extending the culturally embedded construct of renqing to the underexplored setting of Indian academicians using a mixed method design. By integrating workplace incivility, spitefulness and camaraderie into this framework, the study presents an original mechanism explaining how incivility undermines renqing in a hierarchical Indian academic environment, making this study novel.