The effects of experienced customer incivility on employees’ job performance: the mediating role of ego depletion and moderating role of mindfulness

Purpose Within the framework of conservation of resources (COR) and ego depletion theory, the purpose of this paper is to explore how customer incivility (CI) affects employee job performance by assessing the mediating role of ego depletion and the moderating role of mindfulness. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected from a sample of 217 airport frontline employees (FLEs) in Vietnam. The research model was tested using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). Findings The results showed that CI indirectly reduced extra-role performance via ego depletion, while in-role performance remained unaffected. Mindfulness buffered the negative impact of CI on ego depletion. Originality/value This study advances understanding of the cognitive mechanisms linking CI to employee performance and identifies key boundary conditions, offering practical insights for managing workplace incivility.