An investigation into the antecedents of frontline service employee guardianship behaviours
Journal of Service Theory and Practice
ISSN: 2055-6225
Article publication date: 4 March 2021
Issue publication date: 20 April 2021
Abstract
Purpose
This study aims to provide empirically generated insights into the drivers of guardianship behaviour among frontline service employees (FLEs) within retail settings.
Design/methodology/approach
The research framework comprises a quantitative survey of 507 frontline service employees at national supermarkets within New Zealand.
Findings
The findings of the survey suggest that service employee perceptions of internal corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities, their level of psychological ownership towards the supermarket and personal moral beliefs, shape their guardianship behaviours and, consequentially, the prevention of in-store deviant behaviours by customers such as shoplifting.
Originality/value
The contribution of this paper is twofold. First, it offers both a conceptual foundation and an empirical-based evaluation of the antecedents and role of guardianship behaviour among frontline service employees. Second, the conceptual model derived from this research may aid practitioners in developing strategies that engender guardianship behaviours in their employees within service contexts.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments and excellent reviews on the different versions of this manuscript.
Citation
Potdar, B., Garry, T., Gnoth, J. and Guthrie, J. (2021), "An investigation into the antecedents of frontline service employee guardianship behaviours", Journal of Service Theory and Practice, Vol. 31 No. 3, pp. 450-467. https://doi.org/10.1108/JSTP-06-2020-0124
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited