Effect of perceived customer ostracism on couriers’ turnover intention

The express delivery industry has played a key role in people’s lives during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, due to concerns about the virus, people frequently ostracize services from couriers, which can damage the couriers’ motivation and make them consider seeking other work. In this study we explored how customer ostracism influenced turnover intention among couriers. Using a questionnaire survey of 529 couriers administered at two time points, we found that customer ostracism was positively and significantly correlated with couriers’ turnover intention and that this relationship was mediated by work stress and moderated by perceived organizational support. These results enrich our knowledge of the antecedents and mechanisms related to employees’ turnover intention during the pandemic, as well as having important practical implications for the management of couriers’ work stress and the prevention of their turnover intention.