Customer incivility and employee turnover intention: exploring a moderated sequential mediation of workplace spirituality, employee cynicism, and work alienation

Purpose Utilizing the social exchange theory (SET) and conservation of resources (COR) theory, this study examines a moderated sequential mediation model. It aims to understand whether employee cynicism (EC) and work alienation (WA) mediate the relationship between customer incivility (CI) and employee turnover intention (TI). Furthermore, it explores the moderating effect of workplace spirituality (WPS) on the CI–EC pathway. Design/methodology/approach Employing a time-lagged longitudinal approach, the researchers gathered data from 334 frontline employees in the banking sector in two phases. The hypotheses were evaluated through “partial least squares structural equation modelling” (PLS-SEM) using SmartPLS v4. Findings Results highlight the critical role of EC and WA as mediators, uncovering the psychological pathways by which customer incivility leads to TI through both direct and sequential mediation. Interestingly, an increase in CI did not independently influence employee turnover intention. Furthermore, WPS was found to buffer the impact of CI on EC. Practical implications While fostering a supportive, spiritually enriching workplace can alleviate the impact of CI on employee attitudes, proactive efforts to curb its occurrence are essential for managers. Originality/value Our study offers a novel contribution by exploring the sequential mediation of EC and WA in linking customer incivility to banking employee TI. Additionally, it examines the moderating role of workplace spirituality, a factor that has not been previously investigated in relation to CI and EC.