The effects of perceived supervisor incivility on child-care workers’ job performance: The mediating role of emotional exhaustion and intrinsic motivation

In this study, the authors examined how perceived supervisor incivility negatively affected the performance of child-care workers, focusing on emotional exhaustion and intrinsic motivation as underlying mediators. Data were collected from 321 child-care workers at 43 daycare centers in South Korea. A two-stage mediation model using multilevel structural equation modeling (MSEM) indicated that emotional exhaustion and intrinsic motivation fully and sequentially mediated the relationship. Perceived supervisor incivility emotionally exhausted child-care workers, decreased their intrinsic motivation, and reduced their overall performance. The findings highlight the need to manage workplace incivility in the child care sector. Finally, implications for organizational practice and interventions were discussed.