Dual Perspective on the Role of Xenophobia in Service Sabotage

This paper contributes to the literature by examining xenophobia among tourism employees and its relationship with service sabotage, which was not previously explored. Two studies are conducted. A survey study is conducted with 194 frontline employees working in tourism, and 297 tourists participated in an experimental study. Based on the findings, xenophobia mediates the relationship between employee community attachment and service sabotage, with employees' moral identity and emotional regulation influencing this relationship. Furthermore, tourists' desire for revenge when experiencing service sabotage is both directly and indirectly affected by the attributions of cultural differences and discrimination. Notably, if tourists attribute the sabotage to xenophobia, this will not increase the desire for revenge. This research advances the understanding of the complex dynamics among employee xenophobia, service sabotage, and customer revenge in tourism.