TY - JOUR
T1 - Customer incivility as an identity threat for frontline employees
T2 - The mitigating role of organizational rewards
AU - Boukis, Achilleas
AU - Koritos, Christos
AU - Papastathopoulos, Avraam
AU - Buhalis, Dimitris
PY - 2023/5
Y1 - 2023/5
N2 - This work proposes identity theory as a novel theoretical lens for interpreting frontline employees’ varied behavioral responses to customer incivility in tourism and hospitality. Our findings advance pertinent research by demonstrating that customer incivility can constitute a dual identity threat for frontline employees (i.e., threat towards their individual and collective identity). Through two experimental studies, it is demonstrated that customer incivility directed at frontline employees’ individual identity has a more adverse effect on their psychological responses (i.e., self-esteem and role stress) than their citizenship behavior (i.e., willingness to report customer complaints). Study 1 reveals that non-monetary rewards are more effective in reducing the adverse effects of customer incivility on frontline employees’ psychological responses than monetary rewards, whereas monetary rewards enhance their citizenship behavior more than non-monetary rewards. Study 2 illustrates that providing frontline employees with the ability to choose the reward themselves (vs no reward choice) has an equally strong buffering effect on their psychological responses and citizenship behavior, after customer incivility incidents. Based on these findings, a four-step appraisal process is proposed that managers can implement following customer incivility incidents.
AB - This work proposes identity theory as a novel theoretical lens for interpreting frontline employees’ varied behavioral responses to customer incivility in tourism and hospitality. Our findings advance pertinent research by demonstrating that customer incivility can constitute a dual identity threat for frontline employees (i.e., threat towards their individual and collective identity). Through two experimental studies, it is demonstrated that customer incivility directed at frontline employees’ individual identity has a more adverse effect on their psychological responses (i.e., self-esteem and role stress) than their citizenship behavior (i.e., willingness to report customer complaints). Study 1 reveals that non-monetary rewards are more effective in reducing the adverse effects of customer incivility on frontline employees’ psychological responses than monetary rewards, whereas monetary rewards enhance their citizenship behavior more than non-monetary rewards. Study 2 illustrates that providing frontline employees with the ability to choose the reward themselves (vs no reward choice) has an equally strong buffering effect on their psychological responses and citizenship behavior, after customer incivility incidents. Based on these findings, a four-step appraisal process is proposed that managers can implement following customer incivility incidents.
U2 - 10.1016/j.annals.2023.103555
DO - 10.1016/j.annals.2023.103555
M3 - Article
SN - 0160-7383
VL - 100
JO - Annals of Tourism Research
JF - Annals of Tourism Research
M1 - 103555
ER -