Counteracting workplace ostracism in hospitality with psychological empowerment

•This study examines the effect of workplace ostracism on hospitality employees’ self-esteem.•Effects on extra-role customer service are also explored.•Partial least squares (PLS) estimation method was employed to test the hypotheses and to analyze the mediation and moderation effects involved.•340 workers volunteered to participate in the study and completed and returned the survey.•Findings underscore the relevance of empowering hospitality employees to counteract work-related problems, such as workplace ostracism.