The role of climate: implications for service employee engagement and customer service performance

Bulent Menguc, Seigyoung Auh, Volkan Yeniaras, Constantine S. Katsikeas

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science · 2017 · Volume 45 · Issue 3

Abstract

This research attempts to challenge the resource–engagement and engagement–performance linkage of the job demands–resources model by testing these links under the moderating role of two climates: performance-focused and service failure recovery. Two studies test a model on the boundary conditions of the linkages across four service industries. The results suggest that whether a resource (i.e., self-efficacy and job autonomy) positively or negatively affects engagement depends on whether (1) a climate is appraised as a challenge or hindrance demand and (2) a climate is deemed a complementary or compensatory resource. Using multi-respondent data from customer service employees and their supervisors in the health care industry, Study 1 conceptualizes climate as organizational climate and finds that performance-focused climate strengthens (weakens) the positive effect of self-efficacy (job autonomy) on engagement while service failure recovery climate weakens the positive impact of self-efficacy on engagement. Study 2 generalizes the findings from Study 1 and provides broad support by testing the model using psychological climate in the financial services, tourism and hospitality, and retailing industries. This study closes with a configuration approach to climate research by discussing when multiple climates can co-exist under different types of resources.

Keywords

Job demands–resources model, Self-efficacy, Job autonomy, Engagement, Climate, Service failure recovery

Enable JavaScript for citation tools and additional paper interactions.