Does a leader’s motivating language enhance the customer-oriented prosocial behavior of frontline service employees?

Abstract

The customer-oriented prosocial behavior of frontline employees can benefit their employers. This study demonstrated the effect of leaders' motivating language and behavioral integrity on the customer-oriented prosocial behavior of frontline employees. This study established a research framework to explore how leaders' motivating language enhances employees' perceived task significance, which in turn affects their deep acting and customer-oriented prosocial behavior. This study also explored the effect of leaders' behavioral integrity on customer-oriented prosocial behavior through the collection of questionnaire data from 304 frontline employees. Smart PLS 3 was employed to test the measurement model and study hypotheses. An empirical analysis demonstrated that leaders' empathetic language increased task significance, which in turn positively affected employees' deep acting and extra-role prosocial behavior. In addition, leaders’ behavioral integrity positively influenced role-prescribed prosocial behavior.