The role of internal green marketing orientation in the context of customer incivility: A case study in the hospitality industry

Abstract

Purpose: Customer incivility has become a significant issue in the hospitality industry, posing challenges for frontline employees (FLEs). This study analyses the underlying factors contributing to customer incivility and assesses its impact on FLEs in Vietnam. It also explores the potential moderating influence of internal green marketing orientation (IGMO) in alleviating the adverse effects of uncivil workplace environments, particularly in green restaurants and hotels. Methodology: This study employed a quantitative research approach, using surveys distributed to 782 FLEs in Ho Chi Minh City who frequently encountered customer incivility in green restaurants or hotels. The collected data were systematically analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) to ensure robust statistical evaluation. Findings: The findings reveal that customer incivility adversely affects employees’ psychological well-being, forgiveness, compassion, and service performance. Additionally, psychological well-being has a significant positive influence on forgiveness, while both forgiveness and compassion contribute to enhanced service performance. Notably, IGMO moderates the relationship between customer incivility and employees’ psychological well-being. Practical implications: This study underscores the crucial role of green marketing values in reducing negative intentions and mitigating deviant behaviour that results from customer incivility in the hospitality industry. By fostering a strong IGMO, managers and supervisors can enhance employees’ psychological well-being, ultimately improving service performance. Additionally, reinforcing employee forgiveness and compassion through targeted internal training programmes can contribute to a more positive and resilient workforce. Originality/value: This study highlights the need to address customer incivility and comprehensively analyse its impact. Additionally, the results emphasise the distinctive role of IGMO in the Vietnamese hospitality industry.