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Bridging two tales of engagement: a meta-analytic review of employee engagement and customer engagement in service contexts

Eric J. Michel (Department of Management, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Illinois, USA)
Kristina K. Lindsey-Hall (Department of Marketing, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA)
Sven Kepes (Department of Management and Entrepreneurship, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA)
Ji (Miracle) Qi (Department of Marketing, Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA)
Matthew R. Leon (Department of Management, University of North Florida, Jacksonville, Florida, USA)
Laurence G. Weinzimmer (Department of Management and Leadership, Bradley University, Peoria, Illinois, USA)
Anthony R. Wheeler (School of Business Administration, Widener University, Chester, Pennsylvania, USA)

Journal of Service Management

ISSN: 1757-5818

Article publication date: 17 October 2022

Issue publication date: 1 December 2023

678

Abstract

Purpose

Employing a service-profit chain (S-PC) framework, this manuscript investigates the relationship between employee engagement (EE) and customer engagement (CE) within service contexts and explores how a mediating mechanism, service employee work performance (SEWP), links EE with CE.

Design/methodology/approach

Meta-analytic procedures ascertain the magnitude of the relationship between EE and SEWP (k = 102, ρ^ = 0.45) and between SEWP and three dimensions of CE: customer purchases (k = 42, ρ^ = 0.47), customer knowledge (k = 4, ρ^ = 0.33) and customer influence (k = 7, ρ^ = 0.42). The current meta-analysis reports an effect size for the EE-overall SEWP relationship nearly 1.50 times greater than related extant meta-analyses.

Findings

Results suggest SEWP, consisting of service employee task performance and contextual performance, serves as an important intervening mechanism between EE and CE by considering nine dimensions of SEWP. Such findings suggest that to maximize SEWP, service employees must go beyond simply being satisfied in their work roles; instead, service employees must feel energized, find fulfillment and meaning and be engrossed in their work to maximize the service they provide to customers.

Originality/value

This research extends previous meta-analytic efforts, bridges the multi-disciplinary gap between EE and CE research, provides an empirical link allowing for informed decision-making for managers and stakeholders, underscores the importance of service employees surpassing required job responsibilities to meet and exceed customer needs and suggests an agenda for future service research integrating EE and CE.

Keywords

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Editor Jay Kandampully, Associate Editor Mahesh Subramony and two anonymous reviewers for their developmental feedback during the review process. This manuscript was developed at the Interdisciplinary Service Management Research Forum (ISMRF) hosted by the Northern Illinois University (NIU) College of Business and the Journal of Service Management. The authors would like to thank the participants of the ISMRF as well as participants at the Organizational Frontline Research, Academy of Management and American Marketing Association annual meetings for the detailed and constructive guidance on earlier versions of this manuscript. This research was supported by the NIU College of Business, the Management Department at NIU, and the E.J. Ourso College of Business at Louisiana State University. The first two authors contributed equally to this research effort.

Citation

Michel, E.J., Lindsey-Hall, K.K., Kepes, S., Qi, J.(M)., Leon, M.R., Weinzimmer, L.G. and Wheeler, A.R. (2023), "Bridging two tales of engagement: a meta-analytic review of employee engagement and customer engagement in service contexts", Journal of Service Management, Vol. 34 No. 5, pp. 843-866. https://doi.org/10.1108/JOSM-06-2019-0171

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited

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