Workplace Incivility as Symbolic Violence: Towards a Symbolic Reproduction Framework of Gendered Organizational Power

Shaily Pandey; Vibha Dikshit

doi:10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.85576

Workplace Incivility as Symbolic Violence: Towards a Symbolic Reproduction Framework of Gendered Organizational Power

Author(s)	Ms. Shaily Pandey, Prof. Vibha Dikshit
Country	India
Abstract	The negative impacts that incivility in the workplace can have on employee health and wellness, organizational climate and the effectiveness of the organization have made it a major topic of organizational research. Although there are many studies on the behaviour involved, the causes of, and outcomes of workplace incivility, the literature has tended to focus on the interpersonal and organizational behaviour aspects and aspects of workplace incivility have been little explored in terms of organizational power and the reproduction of gender inequality. In this regard, the present paper attempts to fill this theoretical void by repurposing the definition of workplace incivility in relation to the concepts of symbolic violence and feminist organizational theory developed by Pierre Bourdieu and feminist organizational theory. The literature has been reviewed using an integrative form of literature review that brings together the findings of literatures in organizational behaviour, sociology and gender studies to provide a conceptual framework of workplace incivility from a gender perspective. It contends that workplace incivility is a “micro-level act of symbolic domination” in a gendered organizational context rather than simply an instance of discourteous interpersonal interactions. The paper builds on this theoretical synthesis and proposes the Symbolic Reproduction Framework (SRF), which helps explain how gendered organizational structures, organizational doxa, symbolic violence, workplace incivility, and process of misrecognition interact and facilitate the reproduction of organizational inequalities. The framework builds on the discussion about incivility in the workplace, while also introducing the following dimensions: Focus on organizational processes in which authority, recognition, and legitimacy are symbolically negotiated and reproduced. The paper proposes a new conceptualisation of the political aspects of day-to-day organizational relationships combining insights from incivility research, feminist organizational theory, and Bourdieu's sociology of symbolic power. The concluding section of the study explores the implications for theory, organization, and policy, and suggests avenues for future empirical research on symbolic violence and workplace inequality in various organizational settings.
Keywords	Workplace Incivility, Symbolic Violence, Gender Politics, Feminist Organizational Theory, Symbolic Reproduction Framework.
Published In	Volume 8, Issue 4, July-August 2026
Published On	2026-08-16
DOI	https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2026.v08i04.85576

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Workplace Incivility as Symbolic Violence: Towards a Symbolic Reproduction Framework of Gendered Organizational Power

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