Workplace Incivility, Organizational Justice, and Quiet Quitting Behaviour Among Employees in Polytechnics in South-West Nigeria

Abstract

The quality of workplace interactions and the fairness of institutional systems are central to employee engagement. This study examined workplace incivility, organisational justice and quiet quitting behaviour among employees in polytechnics in South-West Nigeria, and the relationships among them. A quantitative, survey-based correlational design was used, with a multistage sampling procedure yielding 240 academic and non-academic employees across six polytechnics. A validated questionnaire measured the constructs, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation, multiple regression and structural equation modelling. Workplace incivility was moderate (mean = 2.64 on a 5-point scale), with 70.0% of respondents reporting dismissive or condescending behaviour. Organisational justice was moderate (mean = 3.12), with interactional justice (3.34) higher than procedural (3.02) and distributive justice (3.00). Quiet quitting was moderate (mean = 3.24), and 58.4% of respondents engaged in it frequently. Incivility was negatively associated with organisational justice (r = −0.46, p < 0.001) and positively with quiet quitting (r = 0.52, p < 0.001); justice was negatively associated with quiet quitting (r = −0.58, p < 0.001). Organisational justice partially mediated the relationship between incivility and quiet quitting (indirect effect = 0.18, p < 0.01). The findings support interventions that promote civility and fairness to sustain engagement in Nigerian polytechnics.