Family incivility and service delivery of frontline hotel employees: roles of negative rumination, psychological capital and perceived organisational support

Purpose This study anchoring on the theory of conservation of resources examines the relationship between family incivility, negative rumination and service delivery. This study also analyses the mediating role of negative rumination in the relationship between family incivility and service delivery. This study also examines psychological capital and perceived organisational support (POS) as boundary conditions influencing the relationships postulated in the study. Design/methodology/approach To test the relationships among the variables, responses were drawn from 419 frontline hotel employees at two-time points and the hypothesised relationships were tested using structural equation modelling. Findings The structural equation modelling analysis proved that family incivility is negatively related to service delivery. It was also found that family incivility is positively associated with negative rumination and an inverse relationship between negative rumination and service delivery. This study also found support for the mediating role of negative rumination and the moderating roles of psychological capital and perceived organisational support. Practical implications This study findings extend the theory and provide guidelines for managers to mitigate the adverse effect of family incivility on employees and their service delivery. Employees and managers can use psychological capital and POS as strategies to prevent the spill-over effect of family incivility on service delivery. Originality/value To the best of the authors’ knowledge, no prior studies have examined the effect of family incivility on service delivery. By establishing the mediating mechanism and boundary conditions, this study adds value to the theory and practice.