Frontline backlash: service employees’ deviance from digital processes

2019 ◽  
Vol 33 (7) ◽  
pp. 936-945 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonja Christ-Brendemühl ◽  
Mario Schaarschmidt
Keyword(s):  
Role Ambiguity ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Resistance To Change ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Destructive Process ◽  
Online Reservation ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
Frontline Service

Purpose The purpose of this study is to investigate how the implementation of digital interfaces into service encounters is transforming demands toward frontline service employees. In addition to having the potential to enhance employee–customer interactions, changes related to new technologies can be perceived as stressful by employees and might foster deviation from prescribed processes. Design/methodology/approach Using the transactional theory of stress and coping as a theoretical framework, this paper aims to develop and test a research model to investigate the influence of technology-induced role ambiguity on constructive and destructive process deviance. Data were collected via an online survey of 123 frontline service employees in restaurants that have online reservation systems in use. Findings The results confirm that employee resistance to change fosters role ambiguity, while self-efficacy reduces the latter. Technology-induced role ambiguity leads to both constructive and destructive process deviance. Originality/value By revealing the above relationships, this study contributes to research in services marketing by examining two types of employees’ deviance from customer-facing processes.

Does transformational leadership always matter in frontline service roles?

2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 733-751 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keo Mony Sok ◽  
Phyra Sok ◽  
Lan Snell ◽  
Pingping Qiu
Keyword(s):  
Customer Service ◽  
Service Performance ◽  
Hierarchical Regression ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
High Level ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Frontline Service

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of frontline service employees (FSEs) motivation (enjoyment of work and driven to work) and ability (customer service ability) in the relationship between TFL and employee service performance. Design/methodology/approach This is a survey-based study which involves 534 FSEs and 135 supervisors in a hair salon setting. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the proposed hypotheses. Findings Results show that TFL is significantly related to employee service performance; this relationship is enhanced with the presence of driven to work; yet, it is neutralized with the presence of enjoyment of work. Further, the three-way interaction of TFL, enjoyment of work and customer service ability as well as TFL driven to work, and customer service ability are negatively associated with employee service performance. Practical implications The results advance service managers’ understanding of the importance of FSEs motivation and ability if they are to fully reap the benefits from their FSEs. The role of leader is not always effective in all situations. FSEs with high level of enjoyment of work and customer service ability would least rely on the guidance and support from the supervisors. Originality/value This research is one of the first to examine the role of subordinate’s characteristics (motivation – enjoyment of work and driven to work and ability – customer service ability) as the key moderators in the relationship between TFL and employee service performance.

Transforming the role of frontline service employees for cross-selling

2020 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
HsiuJu Rebecca Yen ◽  
Paul Jen-Hwa Hu ◽  
Yi-Chun Liao
Keyword(s):  
Goal Orientation ◽  
Meaning Making ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Learning Goal Orientation ◽  
Positive Meaning ◽  
High Quality Information ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
Frontline Service

Purpose This study aims to examine how a manager’s learning goal orientation (LGO) influences frontline service employees’ (FSEs’) engagement in cross-selling activities. Such engagements must exist before they can achieve service–sales ambidexterity. Drawing on achievement goal theory and the meaning-making perspective, this study predicts that learning-oriented managers encourage and foster FSEs’ cross-selling behaviors by facilitating their ability to derive positive meaning from the cross-selling initiative. They do so by conveying high-quality information about the initiative and related changes to individual employees, as well as by encouraging the formation of a collective perception of open communications within the work unit. Design/methodology/approach Hierarchical (nested) data from 39 managers and 357 FSEs of a major logistic service company are used to test the hypotheses. Findings As predicted, a manager’s LGO relates positively to FSEs’ cross-selling activities, through sequential mediations of the hypothesized communication mechanisms and employees’ benefits-finding. Originality/value A manager’s LGO is an important antecedent of FSEs’ cross-selling behaviors. This study establishes this influence and clarifies the processes by which it occurs. This study also extends previous research by specifying the important role of employees’ meaning-making, which prompts them to adopt cross-selling, as a mediator of the multilevel communication influences that result from their managers’ LGO.

The role of initiative climate as a resource caravan passageway in developing proactive service performance

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Zia Aslam ◽  
Adnan Fateh ◽  
Safiah Omar ◽  
Mohammad Nazri
Keyword(s):  
Employee Engagement ◽  
Service Performance ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Survey Method ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
Frontline Service

PurposeThe study aims to examine the role of initiative climate as a resource caravan passageway in engaging employees and developing a proactive frontline service workforce to identify the mechanisms whereby scarce resources efficiently yielding the desired outcomes can help organizations improve productivity and gain competitive advantage, thereby helping clarify the leadership–performance relationship in service organizations.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a quantitative research design with a cross-sectional survey conducted among frontline hospitality employees in Malaysia. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used to examine the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe initiative climate is significant as a resource caravan passageway to transmit the positive impact of interpersonal leadership onto the engagement and proactive performance of frontline hospitality employees in whom initiative climate and employee engagement sequentially mediated the relationship between interpersonal leadership and proactive service performance.Research limitations/implicationsThe online data collection procedure conducted through LinkedIn and Facebook and cross-sectional, self-reported survey method are significant limitations of the current study.Practical implicationsThe findings of the study will aid in developing organizational interventions for an engaged and proactive frontline service workforce, as interpersonal leadership can positively impact the engagement and proactive behavior of frontline service employees via initiative climate. Therefore, hospitality managers should value interpersonal leadership and initiative climate as coexisting organizational resources.Originality/valueThe study shows the significance of initiative climate in the relationships between interpersonal leadership, employee engagement and the proactive performance of frontline service employees.

Does one bad apple ruin a firm’s green brand image? Examining frontline service employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 2501-2521 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lin Zhang ◽  
Jintao Wu ◽  
Honghui Chen ◽  
Bang Nguyen
Keyword(s):  
Brand Image ◽  
Frontline Employees ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Brand Evaluations ◽  
Brand Perception ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Frontline Service

Purpose Drawing on the branded service encounters perspective, the purpose of this study is to investigate how frontline service employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors affect customers’ brand evaluations. Design/methodology/approach The research conducted two experiments. The first experiment explored the effect of frontline service employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors on customers’ brand evaluations via corporate hypocrisy. The second experiment explored the moderation effect of employees’ prototypicality and the importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) among customers. Findings Experiment 1 indicates that for firms with a green brand image, frontline employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors result in customers’ perception that the firm is hypocritical, thus reducing their brand evaluations. Experiment 2 shows that employee prototypicality and CSR importance to the customer enhance the negative impact of frontline employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors on customers’ brand evaluations through customers’ perception of corporate hypocrisy. Research limitations/implications This study is one of the first efforts to explore how frontline service employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors affect customers’ responses. It helps understand the impact of frontline employees’ counter-productive sustainable behaviors on customers’ brand perception, as well as the relationship between CSR and employees. Practical implications This study suggests that firms’ green brand image does not always lead to positive customer response. When frontline employees’ behaviors are inconsistent with firms’ green brand image, it can trigger customers’ perceptions of corporate hypocrisy and thus influence their brand evaluations. Therefore, firms should train frontline service employees to make their behaviors align with the firms’ green brand image. Originality/value This study is one of the first efforts to explore how frontline service employees’ environmentally irresponsible behaviors affect customers’ responses. It helps understand the impact of frontline employees’ counter-productive sustainable behaviors on customers’ brand perception, as well as the relationship between CSR and employee.

Effect of psychological capital on customer value cocreation behavior: the mediating role of employees' innovative behavior

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Muhammad Farrukh ◽  
Nabeel Younus Ansari
Keyword(s):  
Customer Value ◽  
Psychological Capital ◽  
Mediating Effect ◽  
Innovative Behavior ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Value Cocreation ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
Frontline Service

PurposeCustomer value cocreation (VCC) behavior is gaining increased scholarly attention in the services marketing discipline and has become a top research priority in recent times. Despite the growing interest in studying VCC, less scholarly attention has been paid to study the crucial role of frontline service employees in activating customer participation in the VCC process. Hence, to bridge this research gap, the present research expanded VCC research streams by investigating the mediating effect of frontline service employees' innovative behavior in psychological capital and customer VCC behavior relationship.Design/methodology/approachData collected from 255 hotel employee–customer dyads were analyzed through Smart PLS to measure the proposed relationships.FindingsThe results suggest the mediating effect of frontline service employees' innovative behavior in psychological capital and customer VCC behavior relationship.Originality/valueThe current research made a significant contribution to the VCC field by identifying driving forces that encourage customers to exhibit VCC behaviors.

scholarly journals An investigation into the antecedents of frontline service employee guardianship behaviours

2021 ◽  
Vol ahead-of-print (ahead-of-print) ◽  
Author(s):  
Balkrushna Potdar ◽  
Tony Garry ◽  
Juergen Gnoth ◽  
John Guthrie
Keyword(s):  
Employee Perceptions ◽  
Psychological Ownership ◽  
Conceptual Foundation ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Service Employee ◽  
Moral Beliefs ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
Corporate Social ◽  
Frontline Service

PurposeThis study aims to provide empirically generated insights into the drivers of guardianship behaviour among frontline service employees (FLEs) within retail settings.Design/methodology/approachThe research framework comprises a quantitative survey of 507 frontline service employees at national supermarkets within New Zealand.FindingsThe findings of the survey suggest that service employee perceptions of internal corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, their level of psychological ownership towards the supermarket and personal moral beliefs, shape their guardianship behaviours and, consequentially, the prevention of in-store deviant behaviours by customers such as shoplifting.Originality/valueThe contribution of this paper is twofold. First, it offers both a conceptual foundation and an empirical-based evaluation of the antecedents and role of guardianship behaviour among frontline service employees. Second, the conceptual model derived from this research may aid practitioners in developing strategies that engender guardianship behaviours in their employees within service contexts.

Workplace incivility and its effect upon restaurant frontline service employee emotions and service performance

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 2888-2912 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meehee Cho ◽  
Mark A. Bonn ◽  
Su Jin Han ◽  
Kyung Hee Lee
Keyword(s):  
Emotional Exhaustion ◽  
Organizational Support ◽  
Workplace Incivility ◽  
Service Performance ◽  
Three Dimensions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
Practical Implications ◽  
Frontline Service

Purpose This study aims to acquire a better understanding about consequences of workplace incivility upon restaurant frontline service employees caused by customers, supervisors and coworkers. The moderating roles of perceived organizational support (POS) and emotion regulation ability (ERA) were also tested to determine the possibility for reducing the negative effect of workplace incivility upon the emotional exhaustion of restaurant frontline service employees. Design/methodology/approach Using data obtained from 239 restaurant frontline service employees, a 35-item instrument was used to assess workplace incivility and its effects upon emotional exhaustion, perceived service performance, POS and ERA. A structural equation model was used to test hypotheses. The multi-group approach was used to investigate the moderating effects POS and ERA have upon the relationships between workplace incivility, emotional exhaustion and perceived service performance. Findings Results documented that workplace incivility significantly increases emotional exhaustion and further leads to low levels of job service performance. Customer incivility was especially found to have the strongest power for increasing emotional exhaustion, followed by supervisor incivility. Also, results confirmed that POS and ERA play significant roles in moderating the relationships between workplace incivility, emotional exhaustion and perceived service performance. Based upon this study’s findings, theoretical and practical implications are offered for developing successful employee management strategies. Practical implications Results suggest specific practical management implications pertaining to restaurant frontline service employees. This study’s research findings recommend the development of more efficient support programs designed to diffuse potential situations involving workplace incivility. Findings further highlight the important role employee ERA has upon the effects of incivility and frontline service performance. Implications are provided with respect to specific strategic direction management should consider to recruit and select the most appropriate employees for restaurant frontline service positions. Originality/value The current study’s conceptual research was developed in an attempt to simultaneously address all three dimensions of workplace incivility to examine how they affect employee emotions and their job performance.

When do frontline service employees feel more grateful?

2020 ◽  
Vol 54 (9) ◽  
pp. 2107-2137
Author(s):  
Ji “Miracle” Qi ◽  
Sijun Wang ◽  
Michael A. Koerber, Jr
Keyword(s):  
Service Performance ◽  
Equation Modeling ◽  
Job Autonomy ◽  
Organizational Resources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Relationship Investment ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
Customer Outcomes ◽  
Frontline Service

Purpose Drawing from the social exchange theory, the job demands-resources theory and the employee–organization relationship framework, this article aims to investigate underlying mechanisms through which organizational resources impact frontline service employees’ (FLEs) core service performance and customer-oriented organizational citizenship behavior (OCB). Design/methodology/approach An empirical study was conducted based on a multi-source data from 211 employee–customer pairs, with structural equation modeling used to test hypotheses. Findings FLE felt gratitude toward the firm fully mediates the impacts of supervisory guidance and employee-oriented relationship investment in influencing employees’ service performance and customer-oriented OCB. The study further finds that when the perceived job autonomy is low, providing supervisory guidance is more effective in eliciting employee gratitude than employee-oriented relationship investments. In contrast, when the perceived job autonomy is high, employee-oriented relationship investment elicits higher employee gratitude than supervisory guidance. Research limitations/implications First, as cross-sectional pair data were used to test the proposed hypotheses, a stronger case might be made for the use of longitudinal data. Second, the current study uses a large variety of industries to study the phenomenon of employee gratitude and customer-oriented performance. Third, given recent globalization trends, it is increasingly important for researchers to address how the knowledge gained within an US context is applicable on a global scale. Finally, the two types of organizational resources included in the study are both positive resources. Practical implications The findings offer insights about how firms can strategically invest organizational resources to favorably influence FLE gratitude and customer outcomes as well as how job autonomy plays a role in leveraging the impacts of those resources. Originality/value This study is one of the few to advance our understanding of how FLE felt gratitude serves as an intervening mechanism through which functional and social resources invested by service organizations lead to desirable customer outcomes. In addition, this study explores the moderating role of FLE perceived job autonomy, suggesting the contingent nature of organizational resources in affecting customer-oriented FLE behaviors, which was rarely attended in previous research.

scholarly journals Control mechanisms and goal orientations: evidence from frontline service employees

2015 ◽  
Vol 49 (3/4) ◽  
pp. 350-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiza Cristina Alencar Rodrigues ◽  
Filipe J. Coelho ◽  
Carlos M. P. Sousa
Keyword(s):  
Goal Orientation ◽  
Significant Role ◽  
Goal Orientations ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Frontline Employees ◽  
Informal Control ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
Frontline Service

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the influence of organizational controls, both formal and informal, over the goal orientations of frontline employees. The goal orientations of employees, namely, in frontline settings, have been associated with a number of positive outcomes for organizations. Not surprisingly, past research has identified several personal characteristics with an influence on goal orientations. However, the contextual variables that influence employees’ goal orientations remain unspecified. Design/methodology/approach – The authors distributed approximately 1,350 questionnaires through the frontline employees of a Brazilian bank and obtained 296 usable responses. The questionnaire relies on previously validated scales. The final confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) obtained a good fit and provided evidence of scale validity. Findings – Overall, our results suggest that both formal and informal control mechanisms play a significant role explaining employees’ goal orientation. However, informal control mechanisms were found to play a more significant role explaining employees’ goal orientation. Research limitations/implications – This paper relies on employees from a single organization. In addition, it has a cross-sectional nature. The procedural and statistical remedies employed in this study suggest that method variance is not a concern. Practical implications – The results show that managers may resort to control mechanisms to influence the goal orientations of frontline service employees in a manner that is consistent with organizational objectives. Originality/value – To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that examines the impact of control mechanisms on employees’ goal orientation.

scholarly journals Impact of frontline service employees’ acculturation behaviors on customer satisfaction and commitment in intercultural service encounters

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (6) ◽  
pp. 1105-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sanjaya Singh Gaur ◽  
Piyush Sharma ◽  
Halimin Herjanto ◽  
Russel P.J. Kingshott
Keyword(s):  
Customer Satisfaction ◽  
Service Encounters ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Service Employees ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Customer Commitment ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Frontline Service Employees ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Frontline Service

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore the impact of four types of acculturation behaviors of frontline service employees (assimilation, separation, integration, and marginalization) on customer satisfaction and customer commitment. Design/methodology/approach In total, 377 ethnically diverse customers of a retail bank in New Zealand participated in this study. SmartPLS3 was used to test all the hypotheses. Findings Assimilation and integration have positive effects on both customer satisfaction and commitment. Marginalization has a negative effect on both customer satisfaction and commitment but separation has a negative effect only on customer satisfaction and not on customer commitment. Research limitations/implications Future research may validate and extend the authors findings in diverse cultural settings and use experimental method to explore the socio-psychological mechanisms underlying the influence of frontline service employees’ acculturation behaviors on customer satisfaction and commitment. Practical implications This study will help managers understand the importance of service employees’ acculturation behaviors and develop suitable recruitment strategies and training programs to improve their impact on customer satisfaction and commitment. Originality/value This study extends current research on intercultural service encounters by looking beyond the moderating effects of four types of service employees’ acculturation behaviors, to explore their direct effects on customer satisfaction and commitment.

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