Beyond the workday : the effect of daily customer interpersonal injustice on hotel employee experiences after work and the next day

Abstract

Drawing on regulatory focus theory, ego depletion theory, and the perseverative cognition model of stress, this study developed a theoretical model that describes a dynamic spillover process from customer interpersonal injustice to frontline hotel employees' experience the next day via end-of-workday ego depletion. The within-person moderating role of abusive supervision and the cross-level moderating effect of regulatory focus were also tested. Daily diary data collected multiple times a day for 10 workdays from 81 employees revealed that daily customer interpersonal injustice was indirectly related to employees' next-day negative affect and insomnia via end-of-workday ego depletion. The direct relationship between customer interpersonal injustice and end-of-workday ego depletion was stronger on days when employees experienced higher levels of abusive supervision. Additionally, this direct relationship was stronger for employees who have higher levels of prevention focus. This study advances research on workplace mistreatment by examining employees’ prolonged stress response.