Workplace Incivility and Employee Well-being among Administrative Staff in the Polytechnic of Ibadan: The Buffering Role of Social Support
Year: 2026
Type: article
Study design: Observational Study
Abstract: Workplace incivility is an increasingly recognized organisational challenge that can undermine employee well-being, particularly among administrative staff who frequently interact with supervisors, colleagues, and other organisational stakeholders. This study examined workplace incivility and employee well-being among administrative staff in the Polytechnic of Ibadan, with particular emphasis on the buffering role of social support. The study adopted a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. The population comprised administrative staff of the Polytechnic of Ibadan, from which 122 respondents were selected through random and stratified sampling procedures. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire measuring workplace incivility, employee well-being, and social support on a four-point Likert scale. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson product-moment correlation, and hierarchical multiple regression. The findings showed that respondents experienced relatively high job demands (M = 3.04) and comparatively low job resources (M = 2.33), while the overall employee well-being mean was 2.68. Workplace incivility recorded an overall mean of 2.40, with structural resources showing the lowest sub-mean (M = 2.24). Social support had an overall mean of 2.53. Furthermore, the interaction between workplace incivility and social support was significant (β = −.228, p = .001), indicating that social support significantly buffered the negative relationship between workplace incivility and employee well-being. Based on the findings, it was recommended that there is need for development and enforcement of comprehensive workplace civility policies that explicitly define unacceptable interpersonal behaviour.
Institutions: Lead City University, Gateway ICT Polytechnic Saapade
Language: English
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: diamond
OpenAlex ID: W7223163377