Sustainable human resources management in learning organizations: consequences of customer incivility and surface acting

Abstract

Purpose Because of the nature of their work, frontline service employees are highly exposed to customer incivility (CI) and are required to perform surface acting (SA) in such circumstances. Both CI and SA have detrimental impact to a sustainable workforce. This study aims to investigate the psychological effects of CI and SA on emotional exhaustion (EE), organizational commitment (OC) and work–family conflict (WFC). Design/methodology/approach Data from 203 respondents who successfully completed the questionnaire is used for the analysis. Structural equation modelling and bootstrapping were performed to investigate the relationship among variables. Findings The study found that both CI and SA are positively related to EE. EE is negatively related to OC and positively related to WFC. EE was engaged as a mediator between CI and OC, and between CI and WFC. EE also served as a mediator between SA and OC, and between SA and WFC. Originality/value The findings advanced our knowledge of the impact of CI and SA on EE, OC and WFC. Based on the findings, theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

Innovation and learning organisations: a practitioner’s view

“…It can be defined as “low-intensity deviant behavior with ambiguous intent to harm the target, in violation of workplace norms and mutual respect” (Andersson and Pearson, 1999, p. 457). Discourteous behavior can include the active or passive expression of disrespect, such as ignoring or interrupting a colleague and publicly issuing a reprimand (Kuok et al , 2022). Such behavior may be inconspicuous for a time but has the potential to escalate into more aggressive behavior in the workplace (Kim & Qu, 2019).…”

“…Employees may also suffer from emotional exhaustion and burnout for other reasons, such as interactions with external stakeholders, especially customers. In this issue, Kuok et al (2022) address the problem of customer inclivity and the resulting surface acting behavior of employees. Workplace inclivity has been known to cause a toxic work environment in the workplace.…”

“…The paper by Mosquera, Soares, and Alvadia (2022) offers a perspective on developing a sustainable workforce in a learning organization under conditions of telework dominance. Kuok, Chan, Kou, Kong, and Mac (2022) examined the effects of customer inclivity and surface acting on mental health in terms of emotional exhaustion and other outcomes. Finally, Chen and Cuervo (2022) examined the how transformational leadership triggers employee self-motivation and further stimulates their work engagement.…”

Surface acting and work–family conflict: the roles of exhaustion, anxiety and education

“…Organizations consider surface acting important because they expect that it increases their business and profit (Yanchus et al ., 2010). However, evidence has shown that surface acting harms both individuals and organizations by increasing job burnout and deviant behavior (Kuok et al. , 2022) and these harmful effects are not limited to the workplace but spill over into employees' family lives, where they spur conflict (Gu et al ., 2020; Zhu et al ., 2021).…”

Guest editorial: Learning organization, human resource management and sustainability: leading the future of organizations

“…In a study of the frontline workers' performance in public sector (Kuok, Chan, Kou, Kong, & Mac, 2022), the psychological effects of customer incivility and surface acting and related impacts on building a learning organization are examined. The survey results indicate that customer incivility increases emotional exhaustion and induces work withdrawals, which undermine the learning potential of publication organizations.…”