Incivility, empathy, and ethical work climate among hospital staff in Israel: A study within the framework of moral disengagement theory
Itzkovich, Y. & Dolev, N.
Contemporary Perspectives in Corporate Social Performance and Policy — the Middle Eastern Perspective, 223-248
Incivility Quantitative
This chapter examines the interplay between workplace incivility, empathy, and ethical work climate among hospital staff in Israel, drawing on moral disengagement theory to explain when and why caregivers treat colleagues and patients uncivilly. Hospitals are morally charged workplaces in which ethical climate and empathic engagement are central to both staff wellbeing and quality of care. Yet hospital settings are also characterized by hierarchical steep gradients, chronic time pressure, and high emotional load, which can erode empathy and enable disrespectful conduct among staff. We draw on quantitative data collected among Israeli hospital employees to test how perceived incivility relates to empathy and to employees' perceptions of the ethical climate in their units. Moral disengagement theory provides the bridge: when employees are routinely exposed to incivility and perceive weak ethical norms, cognitive mechanisms such as diffusion of responsibility and dehumanization become easier to activate, lowering inhibitions against mistreatment. Findings indicate that incivility is associated with reduced empathy and a less ethical work climate, and that these relationships are interrelated rather than independent. The chapter discusses implications for hospital leadership and policy, including the need for climate-level interventions that restore empathy and reinforce ethical norms, rather than treating incivility purely as an interpersonal issue.
Cite
Itzkovich, Y., & Dolev, N. (2017). Incivility, empathy, and ethical work climate among hospital staff in Israel: A study within the framework of moral disengagement theory. In Contemporary Perspectives in Corporate Social Performance and Policy — the Middle Eastern Perspective (pp. 223-248). Age Publishing.
Itzkovich, Y., and N. Dolev. "Incivility, empathy, and ethical work climate among hospital staff in Israel: A study within the framework of moral disengagement theory." Contemporary Perspectives in Corporate Social Performance and Policy — the Middle Eastern Perspective, Age Publishing, 2017, pp. 223-248.
Itzkovich, Y., and N. Dolev. 2017. "Incivility, empathy, and ethical work climate among hospital staff in Israel: A study within the framework of moral disengagement theory." In Contemporary Perspectives in Corporate Social Performance and Policy — the Middle Eastern Perspective, 223-248. Age Publishing.
@incollection{itzkovich2017,
title = {Incivility, empathy, and ethical work climate among hospital staff in Israel: A study within the framework of moral disengagement theory},
author = {Itzkovich, Y. and Dolev, N.},
booktitle = {Contemporary Perspectives in Corporate Social Performance and Policy — the Middle Eastern Perspective},
publisher = {Age Publishing},
year = {2017},
pages = {223-248}
}