scholarly journals Servant leadership as a driver of employee service performance: Test of a trickle-down model and its boundary conditions

2017 ◽  
Vol 71 (9) ◽  
pp. 1179-1203 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhen Wang ◽  
Haoying Xu ◽  
Yukun Liu
Keyword(s):  
Servant Leadership ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
Performance Test ◽  
Service Performance ◽  
Frontline Employees ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Level Model ◽  
High Level ◽  
Trickle Down

Previous research has demonstrated the role of servant leadership, a leadership style emphasizing serving others, in promoting frontline employees’ service performance. It is unclear, however, how servant leadership by leaders at different organizational levels would exert such an influence. Integrating insights from both social learning theory and the trickle-down paradigm of leadership, we develop a cross-level model in which we argue that servant leadership by high-level managers could cascade downward through the organizational hierarchy to influence frontline employees’ service performance and that this trickle-down effect is contingent on the extent to which subordinates identify their leaders as embodying the organization. Using a matched sample of 92 supervisors and 568 frontline employees across 92 sub-branches of a large banking company, we found that servant leadership by high-level managers could indeed promote employees’ in-role and extra-role service performance through its effect on low-level supervisors’ servant leadership. We also found that this trickle-down effect was stronger when high-level managers and low-level supervisors were perceived by their subordinates as more fully embodying the organization. Implications, limitations and future directions are discussed.

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.

Triggering of transient LES relaxations in ferrets: role of sympathetic pathways and effects of baclofen

2000 ◽  
Vol 279 (1) ◽  
pp. G157-G162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Esther Staunton ◽  
Scott D. Smid ◽  
John Dent ◽  
L. Ashley Blackshaw
Keyword(s):  
Gastroesophageal Reflux ◽  
Lower Esophageal Sphincter ◽  
Glucose Infusion ◽  
Gastric Distention ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Esophageal Sphincter ◽  
Splanchnic Mechanoreceptors ◽  
High Level

Activation of gastric vagal mechanoreceptors by distention is thought to be the trigger for transient lower esophageal sphincter relaxations (TLESR), which lead to gastroesophageal reflux. The contribution of higher-threshold gastric splanchnic mechanoreceptors is uninvestigated. GABABreceptor agonists, including baclofen, potently reduce triggering of TLESR by low-level gastric distention. We aimed to determine first whether this effect of baclofen is maintained at high-level distention and second the role of splanchnic pathways in triggering TLESR. Micromanometric/pH studies in conscious ferrets showed that intragastric glucose infusion (25 ml) increased triggering of TLESR and reflux. Both were significantly reduced by baclofen (7 μmol/kg ip) ( P < 0.05). When 40 ml of air was added to the glucose infusion, more TLESR occurred than with glucose alone ( P < 0.01). These were also reduced by baclofen ( P < 0.001). TLESR after glucose/air infusion were assessed before and after splanchnectomy (2–4, 9–11, and 23–25 days), which revealed no change. Baclofen inhibits TLESR after both low- and high-level gastric distention. Splanchnic pathways do not contribute to increased triggering of TLESR by high-level gastric distention.

Servant Leadership and Service Performance: A Multilevel Mediation Model

2020 ◽  
pp. 003329412095030
Author(s):  
Jui-Chen Peng ◽  
Shou-Wei Chen
Keyword(s):  
Servant Leadership ◽  
Work Engagement ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Service Performance ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Frontline Employees ◽  
Multilevel Mediation ◽  
Two Factors ◽  
A Chain ◽  
The Relationship

This study proposes and tests a multilevel mediation framework to explicate the processes that link servant leadership to frontline employees’ service performance at both the employee and the branch levels of analysis. Data were obtained from 58 branch managers and 324 branch frontline employees of a chain restaurant in Taiwan. The results of hierarchical linear modelling indicate that two factors, concern climate and work engagement, mediate the relationship between branch managers’ servant leadership and frontline employees’ service performance; and that work engagement mediates the relationship between concern climate and such service performance. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are considered, along with future research directions and the study’s limitations.

Getting the Spirit of Office Technologies! Does the Internal Organization Environment Support or Constrain?

2011 ◽  
pp. 194-210
Author(s):  
Huub J.M. Ruel
Keyword(s):  
Technology Implementation ◽  
Information Technologies ◽  
Organizational Environment ◽  
Adaptive Structuration Theory ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Adaptive Structuration ◽  
Work Autonomy ◽  
High Level ◽  
The Relationship

The relationship between Advanced Information Technologies (AIT) and organization is complex. Several theories and approaches try to get grip on this complex relationship. Adaptive Structuration Theory (AST) (DeSanctis and Poole, 1994) is one of them. It introduces the concept of spirit of AIT as an important determinant of AIT appropriation. AIT with a clear, coherent spirit will lead to a high level of AIT appropriation. But what about the role of the internal organizational environment? Does this constrain or support the role of the AIT’s spirit regarding AIT appropriation? This paper presents a study that aims to find an answer to this question. Three hypotheses were formulated and tested in four offices where employees used office technologies. Results confirm that a clear spirit is positively related to the level of appropriation as distinguished by DeSanctis and Poole (1994) and Poole and DeSanctis (1990). The results also make clear that this relationship is more positive among users who experienced a low level of change in the internal organizational environment along with the office technology implementation than among users who experienced a high level of change. Furthermore, the relationship is more positive among users with a low level of work autonomy than among users with a high level of work autonomy. This is not fully in line with our expectations. However, we think an explanation is available. We suppose that the answer lies in the office technology development process. All office technologies in this study’s offices were probably developed without anticipating the changes that office technology implementations might bring about in the internal organizational environment and with the aim to build systems that “reconfirm” the current “restrictive” work procedures. This study’s results once again indicate that office technology and other organizational components are interrelated.

scholarly journals Effects of customer incivility on frontline employees and the moderating role of supervisor leadership style

2020 ◽  
Vol 77 ◽  
pp. 103997 ◽  
Author(s):  
Achilleas Boukis ◽  
Christos Koritos ◽  
Kate L. Daunt ◽  
Avraam Papastathopoulos
Keyword(s):  
Leadership Style ◽  
Frontline Employees ◽  
Supervisor Leadership ◽  
Moderating Role

scholarly journals Feature-Specific Neural Reactivation during Episodic Memory

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael B. Bone ◽  
Fahad Ahmad ◽  
Bradley R. Buchsbaum
Keyword(s):  
Frontal Cortex ◽  
Visual Features ◽  
Semantic Features ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Visual Hierarchy ◽  
Strict Interpretation ◽  
Novel Approach ◽  
High Level ◽  
Hierarchical Representations

AbstractWhen recalling an experience of the past, many of the component features of the original episode may be, to a greater or lesser extent, reconstructed in the mind’s eye. There is strong evidence that the pattern of neural activity that occurred during an initial perceptual experience is recreated during episodic recall (neural reactivation), and that the degree of reactivation is correlated with the subjective vividness of the memory. However, while we know that reactivation occurs during episodic recall, we have lacked a way of precisely characterizing the contents—in terms of its featural constituents—of a reactivated memory. Here we present a novel approach, feature-specific informational connectivity (FSIC), that leverages hierarchical representations of image stimuli derived from a deep convolutional neural network to decode neural reactivation in fMRI data collected while participants performed an episodic recall task. We show that neural reactivation associated with low-level visual features (e.g. edges), high-level visual features (e.g. facial features), and semantic features (e.g. “terrier”) occur throughout the dorsal and ventral visual streams and extend into the frontal cortex. Moreover, we show that reactivation of both low- and high-level visual features correlate with the vividness of the memory, whereas only reactivation of low-level features correlates with recognition accuracy when the lure and target images are semantically similar. In addition to demonstrating the utility of FSIC for mapping feature-specific reactivation, these findings resolve the relative contributions of low- and high-level features to the vividness of visual memories, clarify the role of the frontal cortex during episodic recall, and challenge a strict interpretation the posterior-to-anterior visual hierarchy.

scholarly journals The Role of Distributive Leadership of Headmasters In Selected Primary School, Ampang, Selangor.

2020 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
LEONG FERN NEE ◽  
ZURAIDAH ABDULLAH
Keyword(s):  
Primary School ◽  
Leadership Style ◽  
School Context ◽  
Primary Teachers ◽  
Distributive Leadership ◽  
Effective School ◽  
Four Dimensions ◽  
Strategic Approach ◽  
High Level

The main purpose of this study is to investigate the role of distributive leadership (DL) of headmasters in selected primary school at Ampang, Selangor. DL is an important strategic approach which leads to quality education. Headmasters’ distributive roles have four dimensions includes shared mission, vision and goals, school culture, spontaneous collaboration and shared responsibilities. The research design of this study is a quantitative method, and questionnaire is used to collect the data. There are N=351 primary teachers from two type’s school categories which are Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) and Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC) were selected by random sampling. Findings show that there is a high level of DL (M=3.74, SD=.59) demonstrated by headmasters. This study clearly shows Malaysia practices a bureaucratic system in education. Results also show that headmasters' leadership style influence the school managements which is lead to students’ learning outcomes. These studies have implications for administrator, teachers, students and education policymaker. The results of this study provide ideas to policymakers to take action to enact the appropriate module with school context. In brief, headmasters play distributive roles in enhancing teachers’ development and students’ improvement to realise an effective school. 

scholarly journals Developing a Theory of Surprise from Travelers’ Extraordinary Food Experiences

2017 ◽  
Vol 57 (2) ◽  
pp. 218-231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandhiya Goolaup ◽  
Cecilia Solér ◽  
Robin Nunkoo
Keyword(s):  
Social Context ◽  
Cultural Capital ◽  
Theoretical Contribution ◽  
Low Level ◽  
Extraordinary Experiences ◽  
High Level

The purpose of this research is to explore the extraordinary experiences of food tourists and to develop a theory of surprise in relation to a typology of food cultural capital. We draw on phenomenological interviews with 16 food tourists. We found that food tourists experienced surprise in different ways, depending on their food cultural capital. Food tourists who possessed a high level of cultural capital were surprised by the simplicity or complexity of the experience while those possessing a low level of cultural capital were surprised by the genuinity of the experience. Thus, we make an important theoretical contribution here as we learn that the resources food tourists possessed in the form of cultural capital conditioned the ways in which they conceived an extraordinary experience. More so, using the cultural capital perspective, we have also demonstrated the role of social context in contributing to creating an extraordinary experience.

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