Frontline Employee Perceptions Research Articles

Diversity in Frontline Employee Perceptions: Policies and Procedures, Training, and Leadership as Drivers of Service Equality

Excellent service is often discussed with an assumption of equivalency in its application, yet the reality is far more complex. Customers have distinct needs that pose distinct challenges for frontline service employees. In hotel settings, providing excellent service to a diverse set of guests is more nuanced when frontline employees themselves are from a wide variety of backgrounds. Whereas the literature considers operational tactics to promote excellence in guest service, it is unclear whether training, policies and procedures, and leadership designed to advance excellence have the same impact on employees who, by virtue of their background, are more attuned to guests’ needs. We extend the literature by empirically demonstrating that operational tactics impact frontline employees’ perceptions of service equality, with racial/ethnic minority employees seeing statistically distinct impacts. Employing a sample of 25,698 employee-year observations across 32 luxury hotels in the United States over 3 years, we find that codified policies and procedures, as well as training, improve assessments of guest service equality. In contrast, racial/ethnic minority employees are less impacted than their White counterparts by leadership stances that seem to promote equality more broadly. After controlling for time and other relevant employee- and hotel-level variables, operational tactics (a) improve perceptions of service equality, and (b) reduce the disparity between White and racial/ethnic-minority service-quality assessments. Our findings provide further direction for managers to elevate such perceptions of customer service equality across the board by leveraging training and by reinforcing clear operating policies and procedures.

Antecedents and consequences of the disability stigma for frontline employees: A qualitative study

ABSTRACT The employment of people with disabilities (PWDs) is an important growing topic in contemporary society. Despite legal protections and increasing awareness of the importance of inclusion and diversity, PWDs still face significant barriers to employment worldwide, particularly in service industries. As hiring PWDs becomes more prevalent, scholars have only recently begun to study consumers’ perceptions of frontline employees (FLEs) with disabilities, especially intellectual disabilities, and their potential to stigmatize FLEs with disabilities. As such, we explore consumers’ perceptions of FLEs with disabilities to understand the attitudes, biases, and behaviors that may influence their interactions with such employees. Using a thematic coding analysis, we develop a framework for understanding the antecedents and consequences of disability stigma for FLEs. Drawing on this framework, we present the results of a qualitative study examining consumer perceptions of FLEs with disabilities working in restaurants, highlighting the key themes that emerged from our analysis. Specifically, we uncover internal influences and customer affect toward PWDs as antecedents to consumers’ perceptions of FLEs with disabilities while consumer behavior and firm actions as consequences. Nevertheless, these matters remain prominent issues for businesses working to create more inclusive and welcoming environments for all customers and employees, regardless of disability status.

Not My Circus, Not my Monkeys? Frontline Employee Perceptions of Customer Deviant Behaviors and Service Firms’ Guardianship Policies

Recent disruptions, labor shortages, and fiscal pressures, especially in retail service environments, have necessitated and highlighted changes in the roles and responsibilities of frontline employees, often requiring them to enforce mask mandates and police customer deviant behavior (CDB). While extant work has investigated the impact of policing, or guardianship, for customers and firms, there has been limited examination regarding the policies themselves and the corresponding toll exacted upon frontline employees (FLEs) and their managers (FLMs). Thus, this phenomenon warranted an in-depth, multi-method investigation, including a full-scale qualitative exploration substantiated and extended via three experiments and a survey. The qualitative approach probes employees’ feelings about and identifies categories of CDB in retail service settings as well as develops a novel typology of guardianship policies (policy type x approach style). The subsequent studies empirically test the CDB guardianship typology in the context of a particularly detrimental type of CDB—shoplifting, while advancing understanding of firm-related (guardianship expectations), employee-related (trait anxiety) and job role-related (FLE vs FLM) contextual factors impacting perceptions of policy fairness and turnover intentions. The findings provide rich insights for practitioners and scholars by offering a novel guardianship typology and an extensive agenda for future research.

Frontline employees' performance in the financial services industry: the significance of trust, empathy and consumer orientation

PurposeBased upon social exchange theory, this study investigates the mediating effect of consumers' trust in banking industry frontline employees on two relationships: (1) the relation between consumers' perceptions of frontline employees' empathy and consumers' perceptions of frontline employees' performance, and (2) the relation between consumers' perception of frontline employees' customer orientation and consumers' perceptions of frontline employees' performance.Design/methodology/approachThe authors used a time-lag research design to collect data through online questionnaires distributed in two waves. The sample comprises 375 respondents having experience and interaction with banking frontline employees.FindingsResults confirm the mediating effect of consumers' trust in the banking industry on the relationships between their perceptions of frontline employees' empathy and consumer orientation on the one hand and their perceptions of frontline employees' performance on the other hand.Practical implicationsResults may be helpful to policymakers and managers in the service industries, prompting them to adopt approaches and strategies designed to build strong relationships with consumers, thus increasing consumers' trust and frontline employees' performance.Originality/valueThis study confirms the relevance of social exchange theory in understanding the role of consumers' trust and perceptions of frontline employees' empathy and consumer orientation in understanding their perception of frontline employee performance in the banking industry.

“My colleague is a robot” – exploring frontline employees' willingness to work with collaborative service robots

PurposeAs service robots increasingly interact with customers at the service encounter, they will inevitably become an integral part of employee's work environment. This research investigates frontline employee's perceptions of collaborative service robots (CSR) and introduces a new framework, willingness to collaborate (WTC), to better understand employee–robot interactions in the workplace.Design/methodology/approachDrawing on appraisal theory, this study employed an exploratory research approach to investigate frontline employees' cognitive appraisal of service robots and their WTC with their nonhuman counterparts in service contexts. Data collection consisted of 36 qualitative problem-centered interviews. Following an iterative thematic analysis, the authors introduce a research framework of frontline employees' WTC with service robots.FindingsFirst, this study demonstrates that the interaction between frontline employees and service robots is a multistage appraisal process based on adoption-related perceptions. Second, it identifies important attributes across three categories (employee, robot and job attributes) that provide a foundation to understand the appraisal of CSRs. Third, it presents four employee personas (supporter, embracer, resister and saboteur) that provide a differentiated perspective of how service employee–robot collaboration may differ.Practical implicationsThe article identifies important factors that enable and restrict frontline service employees' (FSEs’) WTC with robots.Originality/valueThis is the first paper that investigates the appraisal of CSRs from the perspective of frontline employees. The research contributes to the limited research on human–robot collaboration and expands existing technology acceptance models that fall short to explain post-adoptive coping behavior of service employees in response to service robots in the workplace.

The Role of Transformational Leadership and Psychological Capital in the Hotel Industry: A Sustainable Approach to Reducing Turnover Intention

With the high level of importance placed on service delivery and the elevated turnover rate experienced in the hotel industry, this study was conducted to explore the influences of perceived transformational leadership on the cross-cultural psychological capital and turnover intentions of frontline employees working in four- and five-star hotels in Sabah, Malaysia. Data were collected from 162 frontline employees using the purposive sampling method. Partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was performed to test the hypothesized relationships. The findings clearly demonstrate that transformational leadership positively affects cross-cultural psychological capital and negatively influences turnover intention. Cross-cultural psychological capital, on the other hand, has no substantial link with turnover intention and does not act as a mediator between transformative leadership and turnover intention. This study extends the hospitality literature by offering a new conceptual model representing the perceptions of frontline employees toward transformational leadership and cross-cultural psychological capital that influence the turnover intention of these employees based on the job demands–resources and conservation of resources theories. These findings have implications for the advancement of transformational leadership and cross-cultural psychological capital toward a sustainable approach to reducing employee turnover in the hotel industry.

Caught out! The role of customer emotional intelligence and dual thinking processes in perceptions of frontline service employees' inauthentic positive displays

AbstractFrontline service employees often feign positive displays during customer interactions to enhance service outcomes, but to what extent are customers aware of these inauthentic positive displays? The perception of inauthenticity involves a series of complex judgments, however, the influence of customers' different thinking processes on these judgments and the role of customer individual differences in emotional intelligence are seldom investigated. This article investigates how customer emotional intelligence influences the processing of frontline employees' inauthentic positive displays. Across three experimental studies, we find that experiential processes combine with high emotional intelligence to predict more accurate perceptions of frontline employees' inauthentic positive displays (Study 1). In contrast, rational processes interact with low emotional intelligence to predict less accurate perceptions (Study 2). We also find that high emotional intelligence and high dual thinking processes (both experiential and rational) predict more accurate perceptions of frontline employees' inauthentic positive displays (Study 3). These results extend knowledge of the important role of customers in detecting the frontline employee's inauthentic displays. Our findings have important practical implications for service settings where there are strong expectations for frontline employees to provide “service with a smile.”

The perceptions of frontline employees towards hotel overbooking practices: exploring ethical challenges

This paper explores the ethical perceptions of frontline hotel employees towards hotel overbooking policies. Thus far, the majority of literature has focused on the ethics of overbooking from the guests’ perspective. This research finds that frontline employees form an ethical ideology based on their perceived need to deliver hospitableness to the guest. Overbooking is viewed as a threat to the host–guest relationship. However, if frontline employees can offer relevant compensation to guests and give advanced warning of an outbooking scenario they perceive that an ethical balance between hospitableness and commercially driven overbooking practices can be achieved.

When do satisfied employees become more committed? A multilevel investigation of the role of internal service climate

The objective of the study is to improve the current understanding of frontline employee perceptions of health by investigating the role of job security and satisfaction. The linkage between perceived health and organizational commitment is also explored. This study further tests the cross-level moderating effect of internal service climate based on a multilevel design. Based on a multilevel study that involved 1251 employees, including both frontline employees and supervisors from 29 casinos, results reveal that the relationship leading from job security and job satisfaction to organizational commitment through perceived health is contingent on organizational-level service climate; and the relationship is more salient for casinos with low-quality internal service climate. Theoretical and managerial implications are presented in the study.

The role of sustainable human resource practices in influencing employee behavior for corporate sustainability

AbstractThis article theorizes and empirically tests the relationship between employee perceptions of human resource practices and their propensity to adopt sustainable behavior (SB) to support organizational change for sustainability. Informed by the literature on corporate greening and organizational behaviour, we developed a structural equation model that links frontline employee perceptions of internal sustainability orientation, supervisory support, training and reward systems to their propensity to adopt in‐role and extra‐role SB. Furthermore, we investigated the mediating role of “affective commitment to change” with regard to the relationships between human resource practices and SB. Our results show that when sustainability is valued and promoted by the organization and line managers, employees are more likely to internalize and make sense of sustainability, which is subsequently reflected in a higher commitment to adopt SB. Although we also expected that training and rewards would strengthen commitment and willingness to adopt in‐role and extra‐role SB, rewards appeared to have no effect, and training affected willingness to adopt in‐role sustainable behaviour only when mediated by affective commitment. These results provide scholars of corporate sustainability and managers with evidence‐based insights on how to design HR practices and strategies to enhance employees' commitment and behaviour supporting organizational change for sustainability.

Linking retailers' ethical leadership to frontline employee outcomes: a structural equation model approach

This study aims to explore how frontline employee perceptions of the retailer's ethical leadership influence their work-related thoughts and behaviours. To achieve this we develop hypotheses about the influence of the retailer's ethical leadership on frontline employee job satisfaction, self-efficacy, organisational identification, and turnover intentions. Using structural equation modelling we test our hypotheses with a sample of 208 frontline employees from the Finnish retail industry. Our research results suggest that retailers' ethical leadership relates positively to frontline employee job satisfaction, self-efficacy and organisational identification. This study also shows that frontline employee job satisfaction has a strong negative impact on their turnover intentions. In addition, the results indicate that there is a relatively strong negative impact directly from ethical leadership on turnover intentions. Theoretical and practical implications as well as future research opportunities are also discussed.

Linking retailers' ethical leadership to frontline employee outcomes: a structural equation model approach

This study aims to explore how frontline employee perceptions of the retailer's ethical leadership influence their work-related thoughts and behaviours. To achieve this we develop hypotheses about the influence of the retailer's ethical leadership on frontline employee job satisfaction, self-efficacy, organisational identification, and turnover intentions. Using structural equation modelling we test our hypotheses with a sample of 208 frontline employees from the Finnish retail industry. Our research results suggest that retailers' ethical leadership relates positively to frontline employee job satisfaction, self-efficacy and organisational identification. This study also shows that frontline employee job satisfaction has a strong negative impact on their turnover intentions. In addition, the results indicate that there is a relatively strong negative impact directly from ethical leadership on turnover intentions. Theoretical and practical implications as well as future research opportunities are also discussed.

Does a retailer’s charisma matter? A study of frontline employee perceptions of charisma in the retail setting

PurposeIn today’s retail environment, retailers’ leadership skills can make the difference between the success and failure of their retail stores. Despite the acknowledgment that retailers’ leadership skills and behaviour are important, treatment of the topic within the retail marketing and management literatures is still very limited. Against this backdrop, this paper aims to focus on the relationship between the retailers’ charismatic leadership and frontline employee outcomes.Design/methodology/approachFor the purpose of this study, the authors develop hypotheses about the influence of the retailers’ charismatic leadership on frontline employee job satisfaction, self-efficacy, organizational identification and turnover intentions. Using structural equation modelling, hypotheses are tested using a sample of 208 frontline employees from the Finnish retail industry.FindingsAs a first main contribution, the findings of this study indicate that charismatic leadership has a very strong positive impact on job satisfaction. As a second contribution, this study shows that there is strong positive link between charismatic leadership and the self-efficacy of frontline employees. As a third contribution, this study indicates that charismatic leadership is positively related to organizational identification. And finally, this study indicates that charismatic leadership has a very strong negative impact on employee turnover intentions.Originality/valueThis study contributes to retail management and services marketing literature by broadening the current understanding of the leadership behaviour of retailers and its effectiveness and demonstrating how frontline employees respond to charismatic leadership in the retail setting.

Exploring the links between ethical leadership, customer orientation and employee outcomes in the context of retailing

Purpose – In the increasingly competitive retail environment, retailers’ ability to elevate frontline employees’ customer orientation (CO) can make the difference between the success and failure of their stores. However, the question of how to enhance employee CO is a tricky one. It has been stated that employee CO is a stable work value or disposition that is consistent over time, and therefore, difficult to manage. However, one factor that might be an important driver of employee CO is the retailers’ ethical leadership behaviour. Accordingly, the purpose of this paper is to focus on exploring the links between retailers’ ethical leadership, frontline employee CO and frontline employee job satisfaction, job-related stress and turnover intentions. Design/methodology/approach – For the purpose of this study, the authors develop five hypotheses about the retailers’ ethical leadership, frontline employee CO and frontline employee job satisfaction, job-related stress and turnover intentions. Using structural equation modelling, the authors test the hypotheses using a sample of 208 respondents from the Finnish retail industry. Findings – As a first important contribution, the findings of the present study indicate that frontline employee perceptions of their retailer’s ethical leadership are strongly linked to employee CO. As a second contribution, our results suggest that employee CO is positively related to job satisfaction. As a third contribution, this study shows that frontline employee job satisfaction is negatively related to their turnover intentions. Originality/value – This study contributes to service management and retail marketing literature by broadening the current understanding of the links between the ethical leadership of retailers, frontline employee CO and frontline employee job satisfaction, job-related stress and turnover intentions.