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Unraveling the customer orientation paradox

Hyunghwa Oh (Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Ted Rogers School of Management, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto, Canada)
WooMi Jo (School of Hospitality, Food and Tourism Management, University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada)
Jinok Susanna Kim (Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Macau University of Science and Technology, Taipa, China)
Jeongdoo Park (Department of Apparel, Design, and Hospitality Management, North Dakota State University, Fargo, North Dakota, USA)

International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management

ISSN: 0959-6119

Article publication date: 22 October 2024

68

Abstract

Purpose

This study aims to examine the roles of customer orientation (CO) and two distinct stress coping strategies – problem-focused (PC) and emotion-focused (EC) – in the positive relationship between customer incivility (CI) and job stress (JS).

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected via a survey of casino dealers in South Korea. Common method variance was assessed using an unmeasured latent method construct, confirming both convergent and discriminant validity. Collinearity diagnostics were conducted to evaluate potential multicollinearity among independent variables. Hypotheses were tested using PROCESS Macro Models 1 and 3 to examine moderating effects and three-way interactions.

Findings

CI is positively related to JS. Employees with high CO experience greater JS when faced with CI compared to those with low CO. Highly customer-oriented employees with low coping strategies encounter significant JS when dealing with uncivil casino patrons.

Practical implications

Casino practitioners should balance CO strategies with effective stress management and support systems. This finding calls for a reevaluation of training programs and policies to maintain high service quality while ensuring employee well-being.

Originality/value

This study challenges the traditional view of CO as merely a stress-buffering factor by revealing its paradoxical role. It identifies individuals more susceptible to JS and demonstrates how the interaction between CI, CO and coping strategies (i.e. PC or EC) can escalate JS.

Keywords

Citation

Oh, H., Jo, W., Kim, J.S. and Park, J. (2024), "Unraveling the customer orientation paradox", International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJCHM-04-2024-0535

Publisher

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Emerald Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2024, Emerald Publishing Limited

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