A contingency model of 'Face' loss in service encounters: an Eastern cultural context

摘要

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the impact of a loss of face on the psychological wellbeing of frontline employees (FLEs) in an Eastern cultural context (Thailand) when subjected to customer aggression. Importantly, it adopts a contingency approach and examines moderating effects by which social status, a "customer is always right" organisational philosophy and a public/private context impact the nature of the association between customer aggression and loss of face. Finally, it examines the moderating effect of regulation of emotion on the association between loss of face on psychological well-being.