Workplace ostracism and frontline LGBTQ+ service employees: tracing the emotional and resource pathways to service sabotage

Purpose Drawing on the Affect Theory of Social Exchange and Conservation of Resources Theory, this research aims to examine the impact of workplace ostracism against frontline LGBTQ+ service employees by their colleagues on service sabotage, an intentional anti-service behavior toward customers. Design/methodology/approach A moderated serial mediation model was tested using survey data from frontline LGBTQ+ service employees. Emotional exhaustion and reduced social desirability were examined as mediators in the ostracism–sabotage relationship. The model also tested the moderating role of psychological ownership in the emotional exhaustion–social desirability pathway. Findings Workplace ostracism was found to be positively associated with service sabotage. Both emotional exhaustion and reduced social desirability mediated this relationship, individually and sequentially. In addition, psychological ownership attenuated the negative effect of emotional exhaustion on social desirability. Practical implications Organizations should revise antidiscrimination policies to explicitly address ostracism and redesign recruitment practices to foster inclusivity, thereby promoting a work environment where LGBTQ+ employees can thrive and contribute positively to service outcomes. Social implications The implications of workplace ostracism extend beyond organizational boundaries, reinforcing broader stigma toward LGBTQ+ individuals. Service sabotage, although often indirect retribution, may confirm negative stereotypes for customers, legitimizing further coworker exclusion and amplifying societal discrimination. This recursive cycle highlights how workplace dynamics and customer perceptions mutually reinforce bias. Effective interventions should be evaluated not only for organizational outcomes but also for enhancing LGBTQ+ employees’ dignity, belonging and authenticity. By fostering ownership, support networks and resilience, firms can mitigate sabotage, improve service outcomes and more importantly, disrupt stigma while advancing inclusion and contributing to broader cultural change. Originality/value This study extends service management and diversity research by revealing how workplace ostracism contributes to customer-directed harm through specific psychological mechanisms in frontline LGBTQ+ service employees. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the link between workplace ostracism and service sabotage has not been examined beyond Sarwar et al. (2020), who focused solely on nursing and did not consider how ostracism may be experienced in marginalized groups such as LGBTQ+ employees.