A relational identification perspective on why and when servant leadership foster employees' extra-role customer service
Leadership & Organization Development Journal
ISSN: 0143-7739
Article publication date: 31 May 2022
Issue publication date: 24 June 2022
Abstract
Purpose
Customer service is crucial for organizations' survival and competitiveness in the hospitality industry. The purpose of this study is to examine how and when servant leadership affects extra-role customer service.
Design/methodology/approach
The hypotheses were tested with a sample of 302 employees from a passenger transport company in China.
Findings
Results demonstrate that servant leadership was positively related to extra-role customer service and that this relation was mediated by relational identification. In addition, the mediating effect of relational identification in the relation between servant leadership and extra-role customer service was contingent on prosocial motivation.
Originality/value
The study is the first to explore the relation between servant leadership and extra-role customer service from the perspective of relational identification and the moderating role of prosocial motivation.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
Funding: This research was supported by the grants funded by Humanity and Social Science Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (Grant 21YJA630001) and Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Grant ZR202102240345) awarded to Di Cai, as well as by Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant 2019M662391), Humanity and Social Science Youth Foundation of Ministry of Education of China (Grant 20YJC630103), and Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (Grant ZR201911090224) awarded to Chenghao Men.
Citation
Cai, D., Wang, H., Yao, L., Li, M. and Men, C. (2022), "A relational identification perspective on why and when servant leadership foster employees' extra-role customer service", Leadership & Organization Development Journal, Vol. 43 No. 5, pp. 705-718. https://doi.org/10.1108/LODJ-10-2021-0450
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2022, Emerald Publishing Limited