A meta-analysis of customer uncivil behaviors in hospitality research

Although a substantial number of studies on customer uncivil behaviors (CUBs) have been conducted, there has not been a systematic review or a comprehensive analysis of this topic in the hospitality context. This meta-analysis integrated prior studies and examined various moderators between CUB and employee outcomes. The results, based on 45 independent studies and 12,236 employees, indicated that CUB has a relatively large positive effect on employee burnout, revenge intention, and incivility toward coworkers. In contrast, the negative relationship between CUB and employees' job satisfaction and service performance was not supported. We also examined how national culture (i.e., uncertain avoidance, individualism, long-term orientation) and the research design (i.e., data sources and time points) of the samples influence the relationships between CUB and employee outcomes. Finally, we provide detailed directions for future research to improve CUB research in the hospitality context.