This study, grounded in Conservation of Resources (COR) theory, explores how customer incivility (CI) affects Generation Z hairdressers’ subjective well-being (SWB) through surface acting (SA) and personal burnout (PB). It also examines whether social support (SS) moderates the relationship between SA and PB.
A cross-sectional survey was conducted with 462 frontline hairdressing practitioners from 62 salons in Taiwan. Established scales measured CI, SA, PB, SS and SWB. Data were analyzed using SmartPLS 4 with partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM), bootstrapped mediation/moderation tests (5,000 resamples) and Q²-based predictive assessments.
CI was positively linked to SA (ß = 0.573, p < 0.001) and PB (ß = 0.198, p < 0.001), whereas SA was negatively linked to affective SWB (ß = −0.274, p < 0.001). Bootstrapping confirmed a significant indirect effect (CI → SA → PB → SWB), in line with COR’s loss-spiral theory. SS buffered the SA–PB relationship.
The cross-sectional design limits causal inference, and the Taiwan-based Gen Z sample may restrict generalizability. Future studies should use longitudinal or experimental approaches and examine other service contexts and resource variables.
Managers should reduce CI through customer conduct policies and incivility-response training, and strengthen SS via supervisor feedback, peer networks and recovery opportunities.
Fostering supportive workplace climates can sustain the well-being of young service employees, reduce turnover and enhance service quality.
This study integrates sequential mediation and moderation into a single COR-based model in an aesthetic, high-contact service context, extending theorizing to a generationally distinct workforce that values authenticity.
