The role of coping strategies in the effect of dysfunctional customer behaviors on employee revenge behaviors: A mixed method study

In this study, it is aimed to examine the role of coping strategies in the effect of dysfunctional customer behaviors on employees' revenge behaviors in hotel businesses. For this purpose, explanatory sequential design, one of the mixed method methods, was used in the research in order to provide the most appropriate explanation by evaluating the quantitative and qualitative results. First of all, the scales in the questionnaire to be used in the data collection process of the quantitative research were adapted into Turkish and a pilot study was carried out with 45 participants. Afterwards, the survey forms of the research were applied to 802 participants in 33 five-star hotels in Antalya destination. The collected data was transferred to the SPSS package program and a data set was created to make it ready for analysis. Descriptive statistical analyzes of the models and hypotheses within the scope of the research were made and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was applied to verify the research model. Process Macro Model 2, developed by Hayes (2018), was used in the analysis of the independent variable of the research, the direct effects of dysfunctional customer behaviors and the role of coping strategies, which is the regulatory variable. In the results of the analysis, it was revealed that the employees did not show revenge behavior in the face of verbal abuses, but they exhibited revenge behavior against the other two dysfunctional customer behaviors. It has been found that getting support from coping strategies has a significant role on verbal abuse, but not on other dysfunctional customer behaviors. Qualitative research was used to explain and support the results obtained in a more meaningful way. In this direction, meetings were held with 12 managers in the hotel businesses where the quantitative research was conducted, using the semi-structured interview technique. Qualitative research findings contribute to the relevant literature by being effective in supporting and explaining quantitative findings.