Rudeness at Work Spreads Like a Virus

Dealing with rude behavior at work makes people more likely to perceive rudeness in later interactions, a new study shows.

"You might go your whole career and not experience abuse or aggression in the workplace, but rudeness also has a negative effect on performance," says Trevor Foulk.

Dealing with rude behavior at work makes people more likely to perceive rudeness in later interactions, a new study shows. And that perception makes them more likely to be impolite in return, spreading rudeness like a virus.

“When you experience rudeness, it makes rudeness more noticeable,” says lead author Trevor Foulk, a doctoral student in management at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business Administration. “You'll see more rudeness even if it’s not there.”

Rudeness has an incredibly powerful negative effect on the workplace.

— Trevor Foulk