Unwilling or Unable? The Impact of Role Clarity and Job Competence on Frontline Employees’ Taking Charge Behaviors in Hospitality Industry

Service quality is one of the most important and widely discussed issue in the services marketing field and literature, since according to many scholars service quality leads to customer satisfaction, customer loyalty, behavioral intentions, which in turn leads to revenue growth and profitability for the firms. Even though there are many studies conducted about perceived service quality, those studies are relied mostly upon transaction-based economic exchange logic but do not take new dominant logic into account in which services are considered as a new dominant logic of marketing focuses more on intangible sources and long-term relationships between service providers and customers (Vargo and Lusch 2004). In this new service dominant logic, customers and service providers are more interacted, involved and immersed in the process with their skills and knowledge. Thus, the relationship between customers and service employees, especially front-line service employees, are getting stronger and longer, which in turn increases the importance of service encounter. According to Bitner et al. (1990), service encounter is the period of time when the customer interacts directly with the firm/ service, yet customers mostly interact directly with front-line employees who explain and define the service to customers (Surprenant and Solomon 1987) and customers build a relationship with them (Hartline and Ferrell 1996). Besides, services are inherently dyadic relationships between a front-line employee and a customer (Dolen et al. 2002). Therefore, service encounters and front-line employees play an important role in influencing customer perceptions of service quality because the relationship between customers and organizations is mostly shaped by front-line service employee whom customers always interact with in service encounters. When compared to goods, services are characterized by intangibility, perishability, inseperability and variability. Variability refers to the changes and lack of consistency in service performance from one service encounter to another. The human factor is the primary factor in variability, hence Zeithaml et al. (1985) view it as a primary problem in labor intensive services. The key elements of variability in the human factor as it relates to services are: lack of consistency in behaviors in different service encounters (Paul and Hennig-Thurau 2007) and employee turnover (Frei et al. 1997). In exploring the variability of the front-line employees, using these two key factors of variability in the human factor is a crucial way of investigating the perceived service quality of customers.

With the advent of the new employer economy centered around employees, the human resource management practices of organizations are gradually shifting from “filling gaps” to “emphasizing advantages”. Strengths-based psychological climate can have a positive impact on the attitude and behavior of employees. Taking charge behavior, as a key factor in improving organizational performance, has received widespread attention from both academia and practice. Therefore, based on the proactive motivation model, this study used multiple linear regression to test the collected 351 valid questionnaires, to explore the impact of strengths-based psychological climate on employee taking charge behavior, as well as the mediating effect of job competence and job crafting and the moderating effect of task difficulty. The results indicate that: (1) Strengths-based psychological climate positively affects employees’ taking charge behavior; (2) Both job competence and job crafting partially mediate the relationship between strengths-based psychological climate and taking charge behavior; (3) Task difficulty has a positive moderating effect on the impact of strengths-based psychological climate on job competence and job crafting. This study enriches existing theoretical research to a certain extent and has certain reference for management practice.

Purpose This study aims to further understand the different mechanisms by which social media use by frontline employees (FLEs) affects customer service performance. Building on social capital theory, the authors develop a model which shows that FLEs' structural capital, in the form of their internal social media use with colleagues and their external use with customers, affects customer service performance via the development of cognitive capital (role and customer knowledge assimilation) and relational capital (organizational and customer identification). By researching the interplay between internal and external social capital, the authors overcome the limitations of studying both in isolation. Design/methodology/approach Dyadic data was collected from 388 FLEs and their supervisors in financial service firms. CB-SEM was used to test the proposed structural model, including interaction effects. Findings FLEs’ social media use with colleagues (customers) affects role (customer) knowledge assimilation, which leads to organizational (customer) identification. The interaction of the two types of social media use increases role and customer knowledge, while the interaction of role and customer knowledge boosts both types of identification. Internal and external cognitive and relational capitals independently increase customer service performance; however, when combined, they can limit each other’s effectiveness. Research limitations/implications The authors contribute to the social media use literature by demonstrating the concurrent effect of four mediators (i.e. role knowledge assimilation, customer knowledge assimilation, organization identification and customer identification) on the relationship between FLEs’ social media use and performance. The authors also contribute to social capital theory by showing there is a complex interplay between internal and external structural, cognitive and relational capitals, which must be considered to understand social capital’s effect on FLEs’ performance. Also, the authors show that different social capitals can conflict. Practical implications FLEs should be encouraged to use social media to develop relationships with customers and colleagues, as this develops their tacit knowledge of customers and how to better undertake their role. This gives them the necessary capabilities for effective customer service and brings them closer to both their customers and to the organization, motivating FLEs to put their knowledge into practice. Originality/value The authors contribute to the social media use literature by demonstrating the concurrent effect of four mediators (i.e. role knowledge assimilation, customer knowledge assimilation, organization identification and customer identification) on the relationship between FLEs’ social media use and performance. The authors also contribute to social capital theory by showing there is a complex interplay between internal and external structural, cognitive and relational capitals, which must be considered to understand social capital’s effect on FLEs’ performance. Also, the authors show that different social capitals can conflict.

The main purpose of this study was to summarize extant empirical findings on how front-line service employees experience and manage emotions at work. When consolidated, the research on front-line employee emotions revealed mixed and contradictory results and knowledge gaps on workplace challenges of service-oriented employees. The PRISMA were followed for study selection, and the appraisal theory of emotions was used to classify the direct antecedents and outcomes of emotion management. To calculate meta-analytic effect sizes, comprehensive meta-analysis methodology wasapplied to analyze 79 studies (N=28,332). The summary effects of known antecedents, affective events (conflict, customer interactions), stimuli (personality characteristics), and workplace environment (support and display rules) on front-line employees’ emotion management were more modest than previously indicated. Organization, supervisor, and coworker support were found to be a moderator between conflict and employees’ emotion management. The most-researched outcomes of emotion management (burnout and job performance) also showed only modest effect sizes. Job satisfaction was a moderator between emotion management and job performance. The relationship between emotion management and customer-related antecedents and outcomes showed modest to small effect sizes. These results contribute to the ATE and highlight the knowledge gap on how customer emotions and behaviors affect front-line employees’ ability to manage their emotions and provide quality customer service and, in turn, how employee’s transference of emotions might influence customer satisfaction, loyalty, and trust. Managers should provide necessary support to mitigate the impact of affective events that may influence how front-line employees manage emotions at work to increase job satisfaction and performance.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between perceptions of corporate social responsibility (CSR) and sustainable safety behaviors among frontline employees. Drawing on social identity and social exchange theories, this study hypothesized that frontline employees' organization‐based self‐esteem (OBSE) and work engagement mediate the relationship between CSR perceptions and sustainable safety behaviors. Using data collected from 222 flight attendants in South Korea, structural equation modeling was conducted to test the research hypotheses. The results showed that CSR perceptions were positively related to extra‐role safety behaviors. Further, OBSE mediated the positive relationship between CSR perceptions and extra‐role safety behaviors, and work engagement mediated the positive relationship between CSR perceptions and in‐role safety behaviors. The theoretical and managerial implications as well as the study limitations are articulated. Additionally, future research directions for promoting sustainable safety practices in high‐contact service settings are suggested.

The present study examines the link between abusive supervision and frontline employees' service performance by focusing on the mediating role of organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) and the moderating role of relational-interdependent self-construal (RISC). The results of analysing 324 supervisor–subordinate dyads in five large hotels in China revealed a negative relationship between abusive supervision and service performance via OBSE. In addition, RISC moderates the mediating effect of OBSE on the abusive supervision–service performance relationship such that the mediating effect is stronger when RISC is high rather than low. Theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed.

How does despotic leadership thwart frontline employees’ role-related service behaviors? A psychological empowerment perspective

Purpose– Utilizing attribution theory, the purpose of this paper is to propose a more nuanced theoretical understanding of role clarity – supervisor satisfaction trajectories. The authors also identify leadership characteristics that moderate these trajectories: supervisor developmental feedback (SDF) and interpersonal justice.Design/methodology/approach– In this field study, survey responses were collected from 334 employees. Data were submitted to hierarchical polynomial regression.Findings– The impact of too much role clarity was dependent on the level of interpersonal justice and SDF. When these moderators were high, too much role clarity had a decremental effect on supervisor satisfaction. When these moderatos were low, high role clarity was depicted by an asymptotic trajectory.Research limitations/implications– Cross-sectional data were collected from a single source. Future research might attempt to replicate findings using longitudinal designs and multiple data sources. Proposed mediating mechanisms might be measured and incorporated into tests of the theoretical models.Practical implications– When managing employee role clarity, more is not always better. Decision makers should examine supervisor-subordinate characteristics to predict employee responses to increased levels of role clarity. Even under optimal conditions, one should expect decreasing marginal returns from role clarity interventions.Originality/value– This is the first study to explore nonlinear relationships between role clarity and supervisor satisfaction. This is also the first study to explore moderators of role clarity trajectories.

This study examined the relationship between work-leisure conflict and emotional labor and tested the moderated-mediation effect of the need for recovery under different levels of supervisor support. It was based on a sample of 529 Taiwan front-line hospitality employees. The results indicate that work-leisure conflict is positively related to surface acting but negatively related to deep acting. The impact of work-leisure conflict on surface acting and deep acting is mediated by the need for recovery. However, this mediating effect is moderated by supervisor support. The results suggest that front-line employees’ work-leisure conflict issues are relevant to, and should be supported by, hospitality industry managers. In practical terms, these findings have significant implications for promoting inclusive and sustainable employment and decent performance for all in hospitality industry.

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the antecedents of frontline employees’ boundary-spanning behaviors in the hospitality industry. Anchored in transactional stress theory, affective events theory and motivation theories, a conceptual model was built to explore the impacts of hindrance stressors on boundary-spanning behavior.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from frontline employees in the hospitality industry in the USA. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used.FindingsThe findings revealed that despite hindrance stressors’ negative indirect impact on frontline employees’ boundary-spanning behaviors, intrinsic motivation worked effectively to reduce hindrance stress and influence subsequent emotions leading to boundary-spanning behaviors.Practical implicationsThis study provides substantial and detailed strategies for hospitality practitioners who are pressed to alleviate the hindrance stressors from which frontline employees frequently suffer, foster employees’ positive emotions and ease negative emotions while promoting boundary-spanning behaviors. Cultivation of employees’ intrinsic motivation and emotional management is encouraged, as is effective organizational structure and management intervention. All of these are deemed helpful in buffering employees’ work-related stress while motivating them to go above and beyond their nominal duties.Originality/valueVery few studies have examined how “bad” hindrance stressors affect boundary-spanning behaviors. Rather than suggesting that hindrance stressors are relevant only to counterproductive behaviors, this study extends both the stress and boundary-spanning literature by uncovering the impact of hindrance stressors on frontline employees’ boundary-spanning behaviors while accounting for the roles of workers’ motivation and emotion.

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

<p id="p00005">With the service industry growing rapidly to contribute to about 60% of the world’s GDP, improving customer service quality with high service performance (in-role performance and proactive customer service performance) is critical for service organizational development. Previous research has linked employee service performance with a variety of potential antecedents, such as individual difference factors and organizational factors from resource, identification, and motivation perspectives. Surprisingly, we know little about how customer positive behaviors (e.g., customer-initiated support) might affect employees’ service performance. This is a critical gap to fill because customers have substantial power and impact on front-line service employees through frequent direct interactions with them during service delivery. Drawing on the self-verification theory, the present study aimed to examine the effect of customer-initiated support on employee service performance (in-role performance and proactive customer service performance) and explore the mediating role of organization-based self-esteem and the moderating roles of promotion focus and internal locus of control. <break/>We collected three-wave time-lagged data from 652 nurses nested within 139 department supervisors. In the first-wave survey (T1), employees reported perceived customer-initiated support, their promotion focus, internal locus of control, proactive personality, and demographic variables. In the second-wave survey (T2), employees who had completed first wave questionnaires were asked to rate their organizational-based self-esteem. In the third wave survey (T3), employees’ supervisors were asked to report the employees’ service performance, including in-role performance and proactive customer service performance. <break/>Results from multilevel modeling analysis showed that: (1) customer-initiated support was positively related to employee organization-based self-esteem; (2) organization-based self-esteem was positively related to employee in-role performance and proactive customer service performance; (3) employee organization-based self-esteem mediated the relation between customer-initiated support and employee in-role performance and proactive customer service performance; (4) promotion focus strengthened the positive relationship between customer-initiated support and organization-based self-esteem, such that the positive relationship between customer-initiated support and organization-based self-esteem is stronger for employees with higher promotion focus; (5) internal locus of control weakened the relationship between customer-initiated support and organization-based self-esteem, such that the positive relationship between customer-initiated support and organization-based self-esteem is weaker for employees with higher internal locus of control. <break/>Our findings contribute to literature in several ways. First, we contribute to the service performance literature by identifying customer-initiated support as a potential antecedent. Second, this study uncovers the potential mechanism of customer-initiated support’s impact on employee service performance from the self- verification perspective, which broadens previous research from resources, identification, and motivation perspectives. Third, this study confirms the moderating roles of promotion focus and internal locus of control, which contributes to the understanding of under what conditions the effect of customer-initiated support will be stronger.

Customer-oriented behaviour of front-line service employees: The need to be both willing and able

In today’s highly competitive business environment, providing exceptional customer service is the primary goal of any hospitality organisation. Hotel frontline employees play a vital part in the service delivery process to achieve this. However, job burnout is a persistent problem in the hotel sector due to the demanding nature of the work (for example, working long hours and rotating shifts). Hotel frontline employees have to deal with the challenging nature of their job. As a result, they are prone to job burnout, lowering their productivity. Therefore, it is essential to establish possible job burnout interventions among this important group of hotel staff. Nairobi City County has a well-established hospitality sector home to most of Kenya’s classified hotels. As a beginning point in pursuit of job burnout interventions, this study sought to compare job burnout levels in different populations of frontline employees defined by socio-demographic characteristics in all (from 2-star to 5-star) classified hotels using a cross-sectional online survey approach to test the model on 309 frontline employees. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and the one-way analysis of variance. The prevalence rate of job burnout among frontline employees was 30.7%. Female and unmarried frontline employees exhibited higher levels of job burnout. Frontline employees with lower education reported higher feelings of job burnout and its facets. Frontline employees working in highly rated hotels, with less work experience and tenure, were prone to job burnout and its aspects. Frontline employees working in the restaurant department were more susceptible to burnout and its elements. The current study recommends that owners, managers, and operators of classified hotels in Nairobi City County design interventions anchored on various socio-demographic characteristics to address job burnout among frontline employees.

Embodied social robots-robots providing services for and in cocreation with consumers-are expected to profoundly change the way services are delivered. Yet, their integration in customer service poses a challenge: their adoption by frontline employees (FLEs). Accordingly, this study aims to examine FLEs’ attitude toward embodied social robots and to uncover its antecedents. This work presents an integrative framework which builds upon the technology acceptance model and examines the influence of potential factors on FLEs’ attitude toward embodied social robots. An online survey among 165 FLEs is used to test the integrative framework. Despite the growing knowledge regarding customers’ perceptions of (embodied social) robots, the perspective of FLEs is under-investigated while crucial to foster FLEs’ acceptance of such robots. This research concludes with several strategies service providers can implement to possibly enhance FLEs’ attitude toward embodied social robots, and thus, to support their adoption by FLEs.