What mitigate and exacerbate the influences of customer incivility on frontline employee extra-role behaviour?

Abstract

Customer incivility towards frontline employees (FLEs) is a pervasive dilemma within the hospitality industry that remains a significant concern for managers because of its frequency and the severity of its influence. This study investigated the effect of customer incivility on FLE extra-role behaviour by assessing the mediating impact of employee burnout. The study also examines what mitigates and exacerbates the negative influence of customer incivility by measuring the moderating effects of passive leadership and customer orientation. Structural equation modelling was used to analyse the data collected (using a time-lagged research technique) from 252 FLEs employed by UAE hospitality firms. Supervisor-measured employee extra-role behaviour was also assessed (n = 126). The findings show that customer incivility directly and indirectly (via burnout) affects FLEs’ extra-role behaviours negatively. This effect is exacerbated when a leader is passive and is mitigated when the employees have a high customer orientation. The implications of the study findings for management practice and future research are discussed.