Employee emotional response toward healthcare organization’s service recovery efforts and its influences on service recovery performance

Previous studies on service recovery performance of frontline employees have focused primarily on the direct relationship with the organizational efforts for service recovery. However, based on the reformulation of attitude theory (appraisal-emotional response-behaviour), we believe that the emotional responses (work engagement and burnout) toward organizational efforts for service recovery of frontline employees mediate the relationship. Thus, the purpose of this study is to examine how healthcare frontline employees show their emotional response toward the organizational efforts for service recovery and it influence on actual recovery performance. This study uses two conflicting emotional responses, burnout and work engagement, to examine how employees react toward organizational efforts, helping better understand employees?? evaluations of the efforts. Research model and hypothesis were tested using a sample of frontline employees who perform none-clinical activities in hospitals. The results showed that teamwork and empowerment have positive effects on work engagement. In addition, customer complaint management, empowerment, and teamwork influenced negatively on burnout. Lastly, work engagement and burnout showed statistically significant impact of service recovery performance of frontline employees. Among the organizational efforts for service recovery, teamwork was the most important factor in improving frontline employees?? work engagement and lessened their burnout, respectively. Interestingly, customer service training had a negative effect on burnout. Besides, by comparing our research model to two alternative models, we confirmed the validity of the research model.     

High-involvement human resource practices,affective commitment,and organizational citizenship behaviors

Although understanding the concept of organizational citizenship behaviors (OCBs) in a service context is important, very few studies have investigated what motivates frontline service employees to exhibit such behaviors. This study examines how high-involvement human resource (HR) practices influence affective commitment, which contributes to citizenship behaviors in service settings from the employees' point of view. Based on previous studies, this study proposed a conceptual model and hypothesized that five constructs of HR practices (i.e. recognition, empowerment, competence development, fair rewards, and information sharing) facilitate the development of frontline employees' affective commitment. This kind of organizational commitment in turn contributes to OCB (i.e. loyalty, participation, and service delivery). Data were collected from 172 contact employees of Taiwanese restaurants. The result indicated that high-involvement HR practices play an important role in determining contact employees' affective commitment. Moreover, affective commitment was found to be an effective linkage between high-involvement HR practices and contact employees' citizenship behaviors.     

Cross‐national assessment of the effects of income level,socialization process,and social conditions on employees’ ethics

Employees often experience ethical dilemmas throughout their service in an organization. This study utilized a multilevel standpoint to address employees’ differences in ethical reasoning. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyze responses from 40,485 full‐time employees across 54 countries. Drawing from Durkheim's concepts of the homo duplex, socialization process, and social conditions, this study found a positive relationship between employees’ income level and unethical reasoning. Furthermore, the results indicate that modern social regulation, technological advancement, economic development, and economic change moderate the relationship between income and ethical judgment. The study findings contribute to the Durkheimian model by validating the effects of individual‐ and country‐level factors on employees’ ethicality. Considering that the results contradict Durkheim's initial propositions, another concept and theory are proposed, which may complement Durkheim's arguments. Practical implications for organizations and society are further discussed to reinforce employees’ ethics.     

When customers want to become frontline employees: an exploratory study of decision factors and motivation types

Labor shortages have long been an issue in the service industry. One pool of potential dedicated and skilled employees that has remained untapped is customers. This study explores the customer to frontline employee (CtFE) phenomenon: customers becoming frontline employees after consumption experience. Through one-on-one, in-depth interviews, we identify factors related to job choice and service experience influencing customers’ CtFE decisions. We also develop propositions and a conceptual framework to describe CtFE choices. Finally, we categorize potential CtFEs as idealist, dream-catcher, approval-seeker, and pragmatist. Our findings suggest that CtFEs can be a critical labor source in the service sector.     

The impacts of core self-evaluations on customer-related social stressors and emotional exhaustion

Based on data collected from frontline bank employees in Northern Cyprus as the study setting, the authors developed and tested a model, which investigated the effects of core self-evaluations on customer-related social stressors and emotional exhaustion. The researchers' model also tested the impacts of these customer-related social stressors on emotional exhaustion. The results indicated that employees with positive core self-evaluations experienced low levels of disproportionate customer expectations, customer verbal aggression, and ambiguous customer expectations. Such employees were also confronted with less-disliked customers. In this study, it was found that employees who were susceptible to ambiguous customer expectations were emotionally exhausted. In contrast, the findings did not lend any empirical support to the effects of disproportionate customer expectations, customer verbal aggression, and disliked customers on emotional exhaustion.     

Perceptual differences regarding leadership between the store manager and employees and its impact on frontline sales performance: A research note

This study focuses on the bright side of perceptual differences regarding leadership that may exist between managers and employees. Specifically, building on leadership literature, the authors propose that in situations wherein a manager’s perceptions of their own leadership are lower than that of their employees’ perceptions of their managers’ leadership, employees’ sales performance levels are higher. Data were collected from retail store managers and frontline employees in Brazil in three different contexts (e.g., footwear, clothing, and furniture). Based on polynomial regression analyses, the findings suggest that sales performance is generally higher when a manager’s self-perceptions are lower than their frontline employees’ perceptions of managers’ transactional and transformational leadership.     

The Effect of Requests for Positive Evaluations on Customer Satisfaction Ratings

In order to focus service employees’ attention on delivering high levels of customer satisfaction, many companies directly reward (or punish) employees who deliver high (low) levels of satisfaction as reported in companies’ formalized satisfaction measurement processes. As a result, many frontline service employees attempt to influence their customers’ satisfaction evaluation by specifically asking them for positive ratings on surveys completed after the service encounter. Using psychological reactance theory, this research considers the impact of requests for positive evaluations on customers’ satisfaction and future intentions. The results indicate that customers who were asked to provide a positive evaluation actually report lower levels of satisfaction compared to customers who were not asked. The results also indicate that the request for positive evaluation has a negative influence on customers’ repurchase intentions and positive word‐of‐mouth intentions, but only for customers who had a more internal locus of control compared to those with a more external locus of control.     

How uncivil customers corrode the relationship between frontline employees and retailers

This study investigates the effects of customers’ uncivil treatments on frontline retail employees’ emotions, deviant behaviors and relationship with the retail organization. Our theoretical model is based on both marketing and personnel management literatures. 415 frontline retailing American employees answered our questionnaire. Employees treated uncivilly by customers feel angry but have to hide their negative emotions, which leads them to emotional exhaustion and deviant behaviors. Paradoxically, employees’ strong commitment to their retailing organization brings about more deviant behaviors. We propose some managerial strategies to cope with uncivil customers, as well as future research on this important and under-researched topic.     

Service climate and employee service performance: exploring the moderating role of job stress and organizational identification

Drawing on a sample of 368 frontline employees and 45 managers from five Chinese banks, this study examined the relationship between service climate and frontline employee service performance, including in-role and extra-role performance, and the difference of this relationship considering the moderating role of employee's emotional experience (job stress and organizational identification). Empirical results indicated the positive effect of service climate on service performance as hypothesized. Moreover, job stress negatively moderated the relationship between service climate and extra-role performance, while organizational identification positively moderated the climate–performance relationship.     

Effects of face masks and photo tags on nonverbal communication in service encounters

Facial expressions convey critical information for customers to evaluate a service encounter. Widespread mask-wearing since the pandemic began has brought challenges in decoding individuals' facial expressions. This study investigates the effects of face masks on customers' interpretations of frontline employees’ facial expressions across retailing and healthcare service contexts. The findings show that mask-wearing improves customer perception of service employees and behavioral intention when the employees display neutral or negative emotions. Photo tags, as an additional nonverbal signal, can enhance the positive perceptions of masked employees. This research suggests that service companies could incorporate face masks and photo tags as a cost-effective practice to improve service encounters beyond the current pandemic.     

Between a rock and a hard place: Seizing the opportunity of demanding customers by means of frontline service behaviors

Service businesses are increasingly facing more demanding customers as a result of a shift in power from the service providers' side to the customers' side. Related literature predominantly examines the negative side of this ongoing trend, while overlooking the positive side. The major aim of this paper is to examine how frontline employees — investment account managers — deal with the ongoing increase in customer demandingness. To address this, we draw on adaptability performance theory to test the facilitating effect of frontline employees' post-transaction service behaviors (SBs) — diligence, inducements, information communication, sportsmanship, and empathy — as a means of adaptation to higher levels of customer demand. Findings indicate that frontline employees adapt most of their SBs' intensities to match customers' demands. The results show that some SBs actually increase the effectiveness and efficiency of frontline employees' service performance, leading to an increase in customer value and satisfaction. Customer value is found as a mediator in some of the relationships between SBs and customer satisfaction. Contrary to the conception of the negative outcomes of customer demandingness, service firms need to consider taking advantage of customer demandingness by stressing the role of frontline employees in adapting to customers’ demands.     

How situational circumstances modify the effects of frontline employees’ competences on customer satisfaction with the store

This article aims to analyze whether the effectiveness of frontline employees' competences (task and interaction) at managing customer satisfaction with the store differ depending on situational circumstances, specifically, on type of query (consultation vs. assistance) and store crowding. A qualitative study was used to investigate the importance of these two situational circumstances in sales encounters. Subsequently, the hypotheses were tested by a quantitative study based on a survey of 575 customers about their shopping experience. The findings indicate that the effect of frontline employees’ task competence on customer satisfaction increases when the store is crowded, while the effect of interaction competence is stronger in relation to consultation queries than to assistance queries. Important theoretical and practical implications for frontline employees and store managers are outlined.     

Organizational intellectual capital and its relation to frontline service employee innovative behavior: consumer value co-creation behavior as a moderator

Frontline service employee innovative behavior is “the moment of truth” that significantly affects organizational performance. Yet, little research has investigated the effect of organizational intellectual capital on frontline service employee innovative behavior. This study used SPSS 24.0 and AMOS 20.0 to examine the structural model and the hypothetical effects of (1) different dimensions of organizational intellectual capital on frontline service employee innovative behavior and (2) consumer value co-creation on frontline service employee innovative behavior along the dimensions of organizational intellectual capital. A total of 282 valid questionnaires were collected from frontline service employees working at a travel agency located in Taipei, Taiwan. Human capital and customer capital were found to positively affect frontline service employee innovative behavior. The interactions between consumer value co-creation and human and customer capital had a significant moderating effect on frontline service employee innovative behavior.     

Reducing turnover intention: Perceived organizational support for frontline employees

Frontline employees are generally under great pressure, and carry out repetitive and mundane daily tasks, leading to burnout and a high turnover intention among them. To identify ways to reduce this turnover intention, this study examines the effect of perceived organizational support (POS) on burnout and turnover intention in the Chinese context and adds to the literature on frontline employee burnout. Using data from a survey of the frontline employees of a gas station in Beijing, we examine the mediating effects of frontline employee burnout on their POS and turnover intention. This study shows that POS has a significant negative impact on burnout and turnover intention, and that job resources cannot substitute POS.     

Climate perceptions and the customer orientation of frontline service employees

Satisfaction of customers' needs is particularly dependent upon the customer orientation of frontline employees. Understanding the drivers of such orientation is, therefore, a key issue in current research. Research relating perceptions of organisational values with the customer orientation of employees is rather sparse. This topic is approached by investigating the role of selected dimensions of psychological climate in promoting the customer orientation of frontline service employees. A structural equations model is developed and empirically tested, indicating that perceptions of customer, ethical, and innovation climates exert an indirect effect on the adoption of customer-oriented behaviours by frontline employees.     

Employee involvement in ideation and healthcare service innovation quality

ABSTRACT

This study hypothesizes and empirically tests the influence of involvement of (1) frontline employees and (2) top managers in ideation process on healthcare service innovation quality. Based on data from 168 service innovation projects in Dutch healthcare organizations, the empirical results indicate that frontline employee involvement and top management involvement in, respectively, idea generation and idea application both improve the quality of healthcare service innovation. We find that the positive effect of frontline employee involvement is stronger under the condition of higher service innovativeness. In the direct relationship of top management involvement and healthcare service innovation quality, our data do not show such a moderating effect. The key and general managerial implication of the findings is that healthcare organizations are inspired to involve frontline employees in the idea generation processes and involve top managers in the idea application processes of service innovation projects, in order to improve innovation quality.     

When can interaction orientation create more service value? The moderating role of frontline employees' trust in managers and employee deep acting

Despite the well-recognized importance of interaction orientation, limited studies have investigated its boundary conditions from the frontline employees' perspective. To address this issue, this study investigates the effect of interaction orientation in service value creation and identifies hierarchical trust and deep acting of frontline employees as two moderators. This study conducts a moderated regression analysis for hypotheses testing using a triadic data set of 2090 responses from managers, frontline employees, and customers of 209 firms. The findings show that interaction orientation has no effect on service value. Rather, interaction orientation contributes to perceived service value only when frontline employees have higher trust in their managers or when employee deep acting is high. The value of this study is in revealing the contingencies of interaction orientation on service value. It offers managerial implications that firms should build high trust in managers and encourage deep acting among frontline employees when implementing an interaction orientation strategy.     

Killing two birds with one stone: Cross-selling during service delivery

Operational efficiency is a central goal of service firms. The past decade witnessed the replacement of people with IT systems in service industries, yet the spotlight recently shifted to how frontline employees (FLEs) might perform a dual role by achieving sales and service goals simultaneously. This study examines the predictive ability of three well-established constructs (psychological climate perceptions, leader–member exchange, and employee self-efficacy) to model sales and service performance empirically across a range of service settings. The authors also examine the moderating impacts of environmental dynamism and employee experience, to identify the conditions in which climate, leader–manager exchange, and self-efficacy have greater or weaker impacts on FLEs' ability to meet both sales and service targets. The results indicate the significance of all three main effects in driving sales and service performance and support the moderating effects of environmental dynamism and experience.     

THE EMPOWERMENT OF FRONTLINE SERVICE STAFF IN 3PL COMPANIES

Research on third‐party logistics (3PL) service providers has focused more on managing customer relationships than on managing the frontline personnel who interact with customers on a daily basis. Thus, even though the overall need for 3PL's to be market‐oriented is well‐recognized, relatively little is known about how 3PL companies support and develop frontline service staff to provide better service. This study draws on 3PL company site managers' responses to a postal survey that examines the influences of internal communication, customer service training and managerial coaching for customer contact employees on the relationship between market orientation and frontline service recovery empowerment.     

How and why (imagined) online reviews impact frontline retail encounters

This research examines how frontline retail employees respond to customers whom they think might write an online review about their experience. Across six experiments (one field and five online) we show that when employees identify potential online review authors, often by what the customer says or does, it catalyzes them to deliver better service. This ensues because they experience a rise in determination to do well, motivated by the prospect of being associated with a positive review, which they believe will impress the retailer. Thus, they go ‘above and beyond’. However, determination is tempered by two boundary conditions. When employees (i) do not consider that being associated with an online review is beneficial (i.e., not goal relevant) or (ii) feel poorly equipped to serve the customer (i.e., low in self-efficacy), then a better service delivery will not occur. We also show that retailers can enhance customer service through internal championing of the importance of online reviews, so long as this is framed as promotional rather than punitive.