How Does Pandemic Simultaneously Alleviate and Aggravate the Effects of Workplace Incivility?
Workplace incivility encountered by service employees often aggravate negative outcomes, an assertion well advocated in extant literature. However, the unexpected nuance behaviors and stress responses of employees amid pandemic remain largely underexplored. Hence, by employing conservation of resource and individual adaptability theories, this study is among the few that uniquely illuminates both the adverse and beneficial effects of COVID-19 on workplace outcomes, particularly on employee well-being. The research underwent quantitative analysis using 258 responses from service employees across six major international airports of Pakistan based on passenger traffic. Smart-PLS 4 was employed to assess scale’s reliability before establishing validity of the measurement model and testing the hypothesized mediation and moderation effects. Results revealed that customer incivility and abusive supervision significantly increased employees' stress (30% and 40%, respectively), leading to higher quitting intentions and disrupted work-life balance (both approximately 46%). However, COVID-related anxiety substantially diminishes the effects of stress on turnover intentions, possibly due to employees valuing job stability amid the pandemic. Conversely, COVID intensified job stress's negative impact on work-life balance, further deteriorating personal and professional boundaries. These findings suggest that managerial interventions to address workplace incivility and retain employees must consider contextual factors such as collectivism, the pandemic, and family orientation.