Related Experiment Video
Updated: Nov 10, 2025
11:13
The Social Dimension of Stress: Experimental Manipulations of Social Support and Social Identity in the Trier Social Stress Test
Published on: November 19, 2015
14.1K
Dysfunctional Customer Behavior, Employee Service Sabotage, and Sustainability: Can Social Support Make a Difference?
Jinsoo Hwang1, Yekyoung Yoo2, Insin Kim3
1The College of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Sejong University, Seoul 143-747, Korea.
Summary
Dysfunctional customer behavior in restaurants harms employees, leading to service sabotage. Emotional exhaustion mediates this, while social support offers a buffer, protecting employee well-being.
Area of Science:
- Business and Management
- Organizational Psychology
- Service Industry Studies
Background:
- Dysfunctional customer behavior negatively impacts service employees' mental health and can lead to turnover.
- Service sabotage is a coping mechanism employees use to manage external pressures.
- Understanding these dynamics is crucial for service employee retention and well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of dysfunctional customer behavior on service sabotage among restaurant employees.
- To examine the mediating role of emotional exhaustion in this relationship.
- To verify the moderating effect of social support on the link between dysfunctional customer behavior and service sabotage.
Main Methods:
- Empirical testing of a proposed model using data from 329 customer-contact service employees in the South Korean restaurant industry.
- Statistical analysis to assess direct, mediating, and moderating effects.
Main Results:
- Dysfunctional customer behavior significantly increases the likelihood of employee service sabotage.
- Emotional exhaustion acts as a significant mediator between dysfunctional customer behavior and service sabotage.
- Social support effectively moderates the negative effects of dysfunctional customer behavior on service sabotage.
Conclusions:
- Dysfunctional customer behavior is a significant driver of service sabotage in restaurants.
- Emotional exhaustion plays a key role in how customer behavior translates to employee sabotage.
- Organizations should leverage social support systems to mitigate the adverse effects of customer hostility on employees.
Related Concept Videos
01:30Impact of Individuals on Individuals
185
Human behavior is intricately shaped by social influences that arise from interactions with others in diverse contexts. These influences not only mold beliefs and attitudes but also drive the regulation of behaviors through both direct communication and observational learning. The study of these processes falls within the domain of social psychology, which seeks to understand how individuals are affected by and affect those around them.Mechanisms of Social InfluenceDirect social influence...
185
01:29Psychological and Sociocultural Causes of Schizophrenia
264
Schizophrenia, a complex psychiatric disorder, has been historically misunderstood. Early psychological theories attributed its origins to childhood trauma and unresponsive parenting. However, contemporary research largely rejects these notions, favoring the vulnerability-stress hypothesis. This model proposes that individuals with a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia may develop the disorder following exposure to significant environmental stressors. Notably, studies on high-risk...
264
01:28Stress Prevention and Stress Management Techniques V
107
A social support system is a structured network of personal relationships that provides assistance to individuals facing various challenges, offering a buffer against psychological and physical stressors. This network may consist of family members, friends, neighbors, colleagues, or other community members who provide resources and companionship. Social support can take many forms, including advice, emotional comfort, practical help, and companionship. Research indicates that these networks can...
107
01:28Self-Help Support Groups
142
Self-help support groups are voluntary, community-based organizations that provide a platform for individuals with shared concerns to exchange support, insights, and practical strategies for coping with life challenges. Typically led by group members or paraprofessionals, these groups form a cornerstone of mental health care, especially in reaching populations that are underserved by traditional healthcare systems.
Accessibility and Cost-Effectiveness
One of the primary strengths of self-help...
Accessibility and Cost-Effectiveness
One of the primary strengths of self-help...
142
01:29Social Psychology and Individual Behavior
127
Social psychology examines how group dynamics, emotions, and cultural influences shape individual actions and decision-making. These elements interact to form behavioral patterns that affect personal choices and social interactions.The Role of Group DynamicsGroups play a crucial role in shaping behavior by reinforcing norms and expectations. Individuals derive a sense of self from group membership, often aligning their behaviors with group norms to maintain social cohesion. For example, an...
127
01:37Social Loafing
37.7K
Another way in which a group presence can affect performance is social loafing—the exertion of less effort by a person working together with a group. Social loafing occurs when our individual performance cannot be evaluated separately from the group. Thus, group performance declines on easy tasks (Karau & Williams, 1993). Essentially individual group members loaf and let other group members pick up the slack. Because each individual’s efforts cannot be evaluated,...
37.7K