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.