Customer incivility and employee well-being: testing the moderating effects of meaning,perspective taking and transformational leadership |
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Authors: | Kara A Arnold Megan M Walsh |
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Institution: | 1. Memorial University, Faculty of Business Administration, St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canadakara.arnold@mun.ca;3. Memorial University, Faculty of Business Administration, St John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada |
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Abstract: | This study investigated factors that influence the relationship between experiencing customer incivility and the psychological well-being of employees in the service industry (N?=?215). Using the cognitive appraisal theory of stress, we identified and tested three factors that may buffer employees from the negative effects of customer incivility: finding meaning in work, perspective taking, and transformational leadership of supervisors. Transformational leadership was found to moderate the relationship between customer incivility and employee well-being. Meaning and perspective taking did not moderate the relationship between customer incivility and employee well-being, but did have a positive association with employee well-being. These findings contribute to the literature on customer incivility and suggest that organization-based resources that influence both primary and secondary appraisal, such as transformational leadership, are useful in buffering the harmful employee outcomes related to customer incivility. |
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Keywords: | Customer incivility psychological well-being transformational leadership meaningful work perspective taking |
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