Does workplace incivility undermine customer-oriented organisational citizenship behaviour of hotel employees? Roles of work withdrawal, psychological capital and organisational-based self-esteem

Purpose Building on the tenets of the Conservation of Resources theory, this study aims to examine the relationships between workplace incivility, work withdrawal and customer-oriented organisational citizenship behaviour of frontline hotel employees. This study also examines the mediating role of work withdrawal and the moderating roles of psychological capital and organisation-based self-esteem. Design/methodology/approach Using a two-wave, time-lagged design, this study collected survey data from 553 frontline hotel employees working across India. During the analysis stage, this study validated the measurement model and, using PROCESS Macros, this study tested the hypothesised relationships in the study. Findings The study findings indicated that workplace incivility decreases customer-oriented organisational citizenship behaviour and increases work withdrawal. This study also found an inverse relationship between work withdrawal and customer-oriented organisational citizenship behaviour. This study also established work withdrawal as a mediator and psychological capital and organisational-based self-esteem as moderators in the model. Practical implications The results highlight the crucial need for hospitality organisations to address workplace incivility among frontline hotel employees. Workplace incivility increases work withdrawal and undermines customer-oriented organisational citizenship behaviour, both of which are vital for service quality and customer satisfaction. This study shows that psychological capital and organisation-based self-esteem can buffer these effects, offering actionable strategies and directions for managers and practitioners. While hotel managers often emphasise tangible incentives like pay, this research underscores the equal importance of respect, support and civility. Ignoring these interpersonal dynamics can lead to counterproductive work behaviours, eventually harming guest satisfaction and overall organisational performance. Originality/value This study fills an important gap in the literature by examining how workplace incivility affects customer-oriented organisational citizenship behaviour through the mediating role of work withdrawal. It also highlights the moderating roles of psychological capital and organisation-based self-esteem, providing new understandings into how personal and organisational factors influence employee responses to incivility. By incorporating individual psychological and organisational resources into models of incivility and citizenship behaviour, this study extends existing workplace behaviour theories and offers a basis for future research on employee conduct in customer-facing roles.