The effect of customer incivility on employees' work effort and intention to quit: Mediating role of job satisfaction

Abstract

This study investigates the mediating role of job satisfaction in the effect of customer incivility on work effort (including the dimensions of time commitment and work intensity) and the intention to quit. Data were collected via questionnaire from 275 frontline employees working in four- and five-star hotels in Turkey. The research model was tested via partial least squares. Findings indicated that dimensions of customer incivility as frustration and insulting manner reduce employee job satisfaction. While job satisfaction negatively affects the intention to quit, it positively affects time commitment and work intensity. Moreover, job satisfaction mediates the effect of customer incivility on both the intention to quit and work intensity. However, the mediating role of job satisfaction in the relationships between customer incivility dimensions (frustration and insulting manner) and time commitment is not supported. Based on the findings, theoretical contributions and suggestions for practitioners are presented.