Title of Paper

Becoming cynical and depersonalized: The impact of customer incivility, frequency and coworker support on employee job performance

Author Bios (50 Words for each Author)

Melissa A. Baker, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Massachusetts. Her research and teaching focuses on service experience management, service failure and recovery, and appearance and impression formation.

Kawon Kim, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the School of Hotel, Restaurant, and Tourism Management at the University of South Carolina. Her teaching focuses on foodservice management, event management, and human resources management. Her research focuses on social and interpersonal influence in service settings (i.e. social support, influence of other customers)

Abstract (150 Words)

Customers are increasingly uncivil to employees and research is needed that examines customer incivility, frequency, emotion regulation, coworker support and their effects on employee cynicism, depersonalization, and job performance. To address these gaps, Study 1 uses the qualitative research method critical incident technique to content analyze employee perceptions of uncivil customers and the effects employee actions on perceptions and behaviors. Based on the results, Study 2 tests a 2 (coworker support: high vs. low) x 2 (frequency: high vs. low) x 2 (emotion regulation: high vs. low) quasi between-subjects experimental design. The results showed that frequency of dealing with uncivil customers and emotional support from coworkers interactively affect employee’s job attitude and job performance. The research builds upon the incivility, cynicism, depersonalization, coworker support and job performance literature research and provides important managerial implications for actions service firms can take to minimize the negative effects.

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Becoming cynical and depersonalized: The impact of customer incivility, frequency and coworker support on employee job performance

Customers are increasingly uncivil to employees and research is needed that examines customer incivility, frequency, emotion regulation, coworker support and their effects on employee cynicism, depersonalization, and job performance. To address these gaps, Study 1 uses the qualitative research method critical incident technique to content analyze employee perceptions of uncivil customers and the effects employee actions on perceptions and behaviors. Based on the results, Study 2 tests a 2 (coworker support: high vs. low) x 2 (frequency: high vs. low) x 2 (emotion regulation: high vs. low) quasi between-subjects experimental design. The results showed that frequency of dealing with uncivil customers and emotional support from coworkers interactively affect employee’s job attitude and job performance. The research builds upon the incivility, cynicism, depersonalization, coworker support and job performance literature research and provides important managerial implications for actions service firms can take to minimize the negative effects.