Transformational leadership style and psychological safety to meaningful work: moderating role customer incivility

Abstract

Purpose This study examines the role of psychological safety as an antecedent to meaningful work and as a mediator between transformational leadership (TFL) and meaningful work. Additionally, it explores customer incivility as a precursor to psychological safety and as a moderator in the relationship between psychological safety and meaningful work. Design/methodology/approach Data from 368 hotel employees in Bangladesh were purposively sampled and analyzed using SmartPLS. Findings Psychological safety positively predicted meaningful work and served as a mediator in the nexus between TFL and meaningful work. Additionally, customer incivility was identified as a negative predictor of safety and acted as a moderator, reversing the association between psychological safety and meaningful work. Practical implications TFL exhibits mixed correlations, being negatively associated with meaningful work but positively linked to psychological safety. Therefore, workplaces should prioritize cultivating a psychologically safe environment and minimizing customer incivility to increase meaningful work. Originality/value The results add value to the conservation of resources and self-concept theories by examining the mediating role of psychological safety and the moderating influence of customer incivility from the perspective of hotel employees.

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