Age as double-edged sword among victims of customer mistreatment : A self-esteem threat perspective

Journal article


Amarnani, Rajiv, Restubog, Lloyd D., Bordia, Prashant and Abbasi, Ayeesha A.. (2019). Age as double-edged sword among victims of customer mistreatment : A self-esteem threat perspective. Human Resource Management. 58(3), pp. 285-299. https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21949
AuthorsAmarnani, Rajiv, Restubog, Lloyd D., Bordia, Prashant and Abbasi, Ayeesha A.
Abstract

Service workers are expected to maintain high-quality service delivery despite customer mistreatment—the poor-quality treatment of service workers by customers—which can be demeaning and threatening to self-esteem. Although service work is increasingly delivered by middle-aged and older workers, very little is known about how employees across the age range navigate abuse from customers on the job. Does advancing age help or hinder service performance in reaction to customer mistreatment? Drawing on strength and vulnerability integration theory, we proposed that age paradoxically both helps and hinders performance after customer mistreatment, albeit at different stages. We tested our proposed model in a two-sample field investigation of service workers and their supervisors using a time-lagged, dyadic design. Results showed that age heightens the experience of self-esteem threat but, nevertheless, dampens reactions to self-esteem threat, leading to divergent effects on performance at different stages. Implications for age and service work, as well as aging and the sense of self, are discussed.

Keywordsaging; customer mistreatment; interpersonal mistreatment; self-esteem threat; service management; workplace aggression
Year2019
JournalHuman Resource Management
Journal citation58 (3), pp. 285-299
PublisherJohn Wiley & Sons
ISSN0090-4848
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.1002/hrm.21949
Scopus EID2-s2.0-85060944736
Research or scholarlyResearch
Page range285-299
Publisher's version
License
All rights reserved
File Access Level
Controlled
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online29 Jan 2019
Publication process dates
Accepted07 Dec 2018
Deposited02 Sep 2021
Permalink -

https://acuresearchbank.acu.edu.au/item/8wv16/age-as-double-edged-sword-among-victims-of-customer-mistreatment-a-self-esteem-threat-perspective

Restricted files

Publisher's version

  • 65
    total views
  • 0
    total downloads
  • 1
    views this month
  • 0
    downloads this month
These values are for the period from 19th October 2020, when this repository was created.

Export as

Related outputs

Laughter is (powerful) medicine : The effects of humor exposure on the well-being of victims of aggression
Cheng, David, Amarnani, Rajiv, Le, Tiffany and Restubog, Simon. (2019). Laughter is (powerful) medicine : The effects of humor exposure on the well-being of victims of aggression. Journal of Business and Psychology. 34(3), pp. 289-402. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10869-018-9548-7
Attributions of blame for customer mistreatment : Implications for employees’ service performance and customers’ negative word of mouth
Garcia, Patrick Raymund James M., Restubog, Simon Lloyd D., Lu, Vinh Nhat, Amarnani, Rajiv K., Wang, Lu and Capezio, Alessandra. (2019). Attributions of blame for customer mistreatment : Implications for employees’ service performance and customers’ negative word of mouth. Journal of Vocational Behavior. 110, pp. 203-213. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jvb.2018.12.001
Beyond tit-for-tat: Theorizing divergent employee reactions to customer mistreatment
Amarnani, Rajiv, Bordia, Prashant and Restubog, Simon Lloyd D.. (2019). Beyond tit-for-tat: Theorizing divergent employee reactions to customer mistreatment. Group and Organization Management. 44(4), pp. 687 - 717. https://doi.org/10.1177/1059601118755239
Dualistic passion for work and its impact on career outcomes: Scale validation and nomological network
Lajom, Jennifer Ann, Amarnani, Rajiv, Restubog, Simon Lloyd D., Bordia, Prashant and Tang, Robert L.. (2018). Dualistic passion for work and its impact on career outcomes: Scale validation and nomological network. Journal of Career Assessment. 26(4), pp. 631 - 648. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072717723096
Categories of illustrated problems for training children in inductive reasoning
Reyes, Melissa Lopez and Amarnani, Rajiv K.. (2016). Categories of illustrated problems for training children in inductive reasoning. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher. 25(2), pp. 239 - 250. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-015-0257-y
Do you think i'm worth it? The self-verifying role of parental engagement in career adaptability and career persistence among STEM students
Amarnani, Rajiv K., Garcia, Patrick Raymund James M., Restubog, Simon Lloyd D., Bordia, Prashant and Bordia, Sarbari. (2016). Do you think i'm worth it? The self-verifying role of parental engagement in career adaptability and career persistence among STEM students. Journal of Career Assessment. https://doi.org/10.1177/1069072716679925
Categories of illustrated problems for training children in inductive reasoning
Reyes, Melissa Lopez and Amarnani, Rajiv K.. (2016). Categories of illustrated problems for training children in inductive reasoning. Asia-Pacific Education Researcher. 25(2), pp. 239 - 250. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40299-015-0257-y
Misbehaving customers: Understanding and managing customer injustice in service organizations
Van Jaarsveld, Danielle D., Restubog, Simon Lloyd D., Walker, David D. and Amarnani, Rajiv K.. (2015). Misbehaving customers: Understanding and managing customer injustice in service organizations. Organizational Dynamics. 44(1), pp. 273 - 280. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.orgdyn.2015.09.004
Yielding to (cyber)-temptation: Exploring the buffering role of self-control in the relationship between organizational justice and cyberloafing behavior in the workplace
Restubog, Simon Lloyd D., Garcia, Patrick Raymund J. M., Toledano, Lemuel S., Amarnani, Rajiv, Tolentino, Laramie R. and Tang, Robert L.. (2011). Yielding to (cyber)-temptation: Exploring the buffering role of self-control in the relationship between organizational justice and cyberloafing behavior in the workplace. Journal of Research in Personality. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jrp.2011.01.006