Workplace incivility and volunteer employees’ engagement in Vietnamese SMEs: the roles of emotional exhaustion and resilient coping

Purpose This study aims to examine the relationship between workplace incivility and volunteer employees’ engagement (VEE), with a focus on the mediating role of emotional exhaustion. Additionally, the moderating role of resilient coping in this relationship is analysed. Design/methodology/approach The data were collected through a survey using a convenience sampling method, in three waves, with a two-week interval between each wave, from a total of 258 employees working in Vietnam. To test the hypotheses, a moderated mediation model was estimated using the PROCESS macro with bootstrapping. Findings This study found that emotional exhaustion mediates the negative relationship between workplace incivility and VEE. Contrary to the theoretical expectations, resilient coping strengthens this mediated relationship. Practical implications The findings highlight the need for particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to actively reduce workplace incivility and provide clearer volunteer role structures to prevent emotional exhaustion. Rather than relying solely on individual resilience, SMEs should strengthen structural support systems and protective mechanisms to sustain employee engagement. Originality/value This study extends prior research by examining emotional exhaustion as the underlying psychological mechanism and resilient coping as the boundary condition in the negative relationship between workplace incivility and VEE in SMEs. By integrating the conservation of resources theory and the transactional model of stress and coping, this study enhances theoretical understanding of how personal resources operate under interpersonal stress.