The impact of exploitative leadership on hospitality employees’ proactive customer service performance: a self-determination perspective
International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management
ISSN: 0959-6119
Article publication date: 16 August 2022
Issue publication date: 2 January 2023
Abstract
Purpose
Based on self-determination theory, this research paper aims to explore the implication of exploitative leadership for hospitality employees’ proactive customer service performance (PCSP) via harmonious passion for work (HPFW) and the moderating mechanism of power distance.
Design/methodology/approach
The authors’ sample included a total of 207 leader–follower dyads from three Chinese hotels. Hierarchical multiple regression and the PROCESS macro were used to analyze the data.
Findings
The results indicated that exploitative leadership has a negative indirect relationship with hospitality employees’ PCSP through decreased HPFW, and power distance plays a protective role of alleviating the negative implications of exploitative leadership for hospitality employees’ HPFW and PCSP.
Practical implications
Hotels are suggested to develop strict codes of conduct and adopt zero-tolerance policies for exploitative leadership. Additionally, hotels should also act to improve employees’ HPFW and pay attention to low-power-distance employees.
Originality/value
This research enriches exploitative leadership literature by investigating its effect on PCSP. Further, this research investigates HPFW as a mechanism linking exploitative leadership to PCSP. Finally, this research establishes the relationships among exploitative leadership, HPFW and PCSP by investigating the contingent impact of power distance.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 71472116), National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 72102148) and the Shenzhen Natural Science Fund (the Stable Support Plan Program No. 20200810161833001).
Citation
Sun, Z., Wu, L.-Z., Ye, Y. and Kwan, H.K. (2023), "The impact of exploitative leadership on hospitality employees’ proactive customer service performance: a self-determination perspective", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. 35 No. 1, pp. 46-63. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-11-2021-1417
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited