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Article
Publication date: 13 June 2023

Catherine Prentice, Lan Snell and Phyra Sok

Performing emotional labour is required of customer-contact employees (CCEs) to regulate their emotions through acting to conform to organisational display rules. Prior research…

Abstract

Purpose

Performing emotional labour is required of customer-contact employees (CCEs) to regulate their emotions through acting to conform to organisational display rules. Prior research is focused on investigating the detrimental outcomes of CCEs engaging in emotional labour acting to meet these display rules and organisational-related antecedents. This study takes a fresh perspective to propose how acting deriving from job engagement is related to employee burnout. Emotional intelligence is modelled as a moderator in these relationships.

Design/methodology/approach

The current study focuses on customer contact employees who are currently employed within the banking industry located in the United States of America. Participants of the study were recruited using panel data through Qualtrics both symmetrical and asymmetrical methods were employed in this study to test the proposed relationships.

Findings

The findings show that, prior to including EI in the analysis, job engagement was negatively related to surface acting but positively related to deep acting. However, when EI was entered in the equation, the relationship between job engagement and deep acting became negative. EI was also negatively related to both surface and deep acting. EI significantly strengthens the emotional labour process of engagement towards emotional labour strategies as well as lessening burnout. The asymmetrical analysis offer more insights to the proposed relationships.

Originality/value

This study employs both symmetrical and asymmetrical methods to examine emotional labour, emotional intelligence and employee burnout. In particular, job engagement proposed as an antecedent to acting strategy is novel. The study offers some novel insights into emotional labour and emotional intelligence research. The findings have practical implications for HR practitioners and management in the service organisations.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 33 no. 4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 9 January 2017

Phyra Sok, Lan Snell, Wai Jin (Thomas) Lee and Keo Mony Sok

The literature establishes complex relationships between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and performance, with mixed findings suggesting the variability of the magnitude of the…

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Abstract

Purpose

The literature establishes complex relationships between entrepreneurial orientation (EO) and performance, with mixed findings suggesting the variability of the magnitude of the relationship between the two. Some studies report a positive relationship, some negative, while some report an insignificant relationship between EO and performance. These conflicting findings suggest that the EO-performance relationship is more complex than a simple main-effects-only relationship. The literature offers two distinct approaches – integrating moderating or mediation variables in advancing the EO-performance relationship. The purpose of this paper is to extend current knowledge by examining underlying processes through which EO contributes to performance and the specific conditions under which this process is facilitated.

Design/methodology/approach

To test the hypotheses the authors chose small service firms in Australia. Industry representation included: accommodation and food services; health care services; rental, hiring and real estate services; transport, postal and warehousing; arts and recreation services; retail trade; construction and training services; and professional, scientific and technical services. The services sector offers a unique opportunity to analyze variances in entrepreneurial engagement and organizational outcomes given the competitive intensity within the service sector which requires firms to engage in venturing, renewal and innovation. The proposed hypotheses were tested through a hierarchical regression analysis.

Findings

This study finds the support for the mediation effect of marketing capability on the EO-performance relationship. Critically, this study also finds that marketing resources moderates on the indirect effect of EO on performance via marketing capability. The findings supporting both the mediation and moderation effects of marketing capability and marketing resources on the EO-performance relationship (moderated mediation model) suggests that greater insight into how EO influences small service firm performance can be achieved through considering in combination with other firm-level constructs (marketing capability and marketing resources in this study).

Originality/value

It addresses the call by prior studies to link the EO construct to theory by embedding marketing resources and marketing capabilities in the EO-performance relationship. Importantly, by accounting for both mediation and moderation effects the authors provide a more complete picture of the EO-performance relationship that highlights the mediating role of marketing capability and the moderating role of marketing resources. This approach helps to reconcile the critical but separate directions proposed by prior studies in advancing the EO-performance relationship.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 27 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 7 November 2018

Keo Mony Sok, Phyra Sok, Lan Snell and Pingping Qiu

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of frontline service employees (FSEs) motivation (enjoyment of work and driven to work) and ability (customer service ability) in…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of frontline service employees (FSEs) motivation (enjoyment of work and driven to work) and ability (customer service ability) in the relationship between TFL and employee service performance.

Design/methodology/approach

This is a survey-based study which involves 534 FSEs and 135 supervisors in a hair salon setting. Hierarchical regression analysis was used to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

Results show that TFL is significantly related to employee service performance; this relationship is enhanced with the presence of driven to work; yet, it is neutralized with the presence of enjoyment of work. Further, the three-way interaction of TFL, enjoyment of work and customer service ability as well as TFL driven to work, and customer service ability are negatively associated with employee service performance.

Practical implications

The results advance service managers’ understanding of the importance of FSEs motivation and ability if they are to fully reap the benefits from their FSEs. The role of leader is not always effective in all situations. FSEs with high level of enjoyment of work and customer service ability would least rely on the guidance and support from the supervisors.

Originality/value

This research is one of the first to examine the role of subordinate’s characteristics (motivation – enjoyment of work and driven to work and ability – customer service ability) as the key moderators in the relationship between TFL and employee service performance.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 28 no. 6
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 14 September 2015

Lan Snell, Phyra Sok and Tracey S. Danaher

– The purpose of this paper is to investigate the individual mechanisms that mediate the relationship between marketing practices and growth-quality of work life ambidexterity.

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the individual mechanisms that mediate the relationship between marketing practices and growth-quality of work life ambidexterity.

Design/methodology/approach

Data were collected from small service firms via an online survey questionnaire electronically distributed to 7,271 owners of small firms in Australia. Partial least squares was used to test our mediation hypotheses on the data obtained.

Findings

The authors demonstrate the mediation effect of entrepreneurial self-efficacy and passion for work in enhancing the relationship between marketing practices and growth-quality of work life ambidexterity.

Practical implications

The findings indicate that being good at marketing does not always lead directly to achieving growth-quality of work life ambidexterity. The results suggest that achievement in both domains requires owners of small service firms to have a strong self-belief that they can perform their job successfully (entrepreneurial self-efficacy) as well as a strong passion to do the job they are doing (passion for work). Policy makers or small firm advisors can include this information to develop enactive mastery measures to promote efficacy and passion for work which can increase small firm survival rates.

Originality/value

The high percentage of business terminations reported without financial loss underscores the importance of including both financial and non-financial goals for small firms. The approach to conceptualize and operationalize growth-quality of work life ambidexterity as a dependent variable representing firm performance assists by providing a more detailed and practical understanding of the organizational and individual variables that enable small firms to realize both.

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 25 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 8 April 2014

Lan Snell, Lesley White and Tracey Dagger

Adherence is a critical factor for success, for both the health of the customer and the financial outcomes of the firm. Central to the success of adherence behavior is the…

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Abstract

Purpose

Adherence is a critical factor for success, for both the health of the customer and the financial outcomes of the firm. Central to the success of adherence behavior is the co-productive role of the customer which is determined by service perceptions as well as individual attributes. Based on social cognition theory, the aim of this paper is to examine the factors that influence past adherence behavior, and whether past adherence behavior predicts future intentions.

Design/methodology/approach

The model was tested using structured equation modeling on a sample of 771 weight-loss customers.

Findings

The authors show how service quality influences role clarity, which leads to increases in self-efficacy. The study also demonstrates the role of emotional intelligence (EI) in increasing efficacious beliefs. Past adherence behavior was found to predict future intentions.

Research limitations/implications

This study was undertaken with a single service industry, and based on data which was collected at a single point in time. Limitations associated with common method bias inherent in cross-sectional designs, as well as limitations related to the use of self-report measures are acknowledged.

Practical implications

The findings suggest that interventions to promote health outcomes should target customer skills in service consumption. By providing quality interactions, providers can increase customer role clarity which produces efficacious beliefs. Interventions should also address EI training in customers given its role in influencing self-efficacy.

Originality/value

The simultaneous examination of traditional service factors and socio-cognitive factors contributes to theory by considering the individual health and organizational outcomes of these factors. The finding of a direct path between past adherence behavior and future intentions provides a unique insight into the prediction and control of behavior in a number of domains.

Details

European Journal of Marketing, vol. 48 no. 3/4
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0309-0566

Keywords

Content available
Article
Publication date: 14 September 2015

Laszlo Sajtos

346

Abstract

Details

Journal of Service Theory and Practice, vol. 25 no. 5
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2055-6225

Article
Publication date: 5 February 2018

Kamisah Ismail, Che Ruhana Isa and Lokman Mia

This paper aims to report the results of a study investigating the mediating role of managerial use of management accounting system (MAS) information in the relationship between…

Abstract

Purpose

This paper aims to report the results of a study investigating the mediating role of managerial use of management accounting system (MAS) information in the relationship between integrated manufacturing practices (IMPs) and organisational performance (OP). IMP comprises three manufacturing practices, namely, just in time (JIT), total quality management (TQM) and advanced manufacturing technologies (AMTs).

Design/methodology/approach

Using a mailed questionnaire, the data were gathered from senior managers working in 110 manufacturing firms listed in the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers (FMM) Directory. Partial least square (PLS) was used to analyse the data.

Findings

The results reveal that the relationship between IMP and OP exists via managerial use of MAS information, that is, adoption of IMP is positively associated with managerial use of MAS information, which in turn, is positively associated with the performance. In other words, managerial use of MAS information plays a significant role in linking adoption of IMP with OP.

Originality/value

The use of MAS information in integrated manufacturing environment is found to assist firms in improving performance. Prior research on the IMP–OP relationship reports mixed (inconclusive) results. The authors contend that a possible reason for such results reported in prior studies is that the studies did not investigate the relationship between OP and IMP comprising each of the three manufacturing practices and performance as proposed by Dean and Snell (1991).

Article
Publication date: 11 January 2019

Helen M.G. Watt, John Ehrich, Sandra E. Stewart, Tristan Snell, Micaela Bucich, Nicky Jacobs, Brett Furlonger and Derek English

The purpose of this paper is to develop a professional self-efficacy scale for counsellors and psychologists encompassing identified competencies within professional standards…

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Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to develop a professional self-efficacy scale for counsellors and psychologists encompassing identified competencies within professional standards from national and related international frameworks for psychologists and counsellors.

Design/methodology/approach

An initial opportune sample of postgraduate psychology and counselling students (n=199) completed a ten-minute self-report survey. A subsequent independent sample (n=213) was recruited for cross-validation.

Findings

A series of exploratory analyses, consolidated through confirmatory factor analyses and Rasch analysis, identified a well-functioning scale composed of 31 items and five factors (research, ethics, legal matters, assessment and measurement, intervention).

Originality/value

The Psychologist and Counsellor Self-Efficacy Scale (PCES) appears a promising measure, with potential applications for reflective learning and practice, clinical supervision and professional development, and research studies involving psychologists’ and counsellors’ self-perceived competencies. It is unique in being ecologically grounded in national competency frameworks, and extending previous work on self-efficacy for particular competencies to the set of specified attributes outlined in Australian national competency documents. The PCES has potential utility in a variety of applications, including research about training efficacy and clinical supervision, and could be used as one component of a multi-method approach to formative and summative competence assessment for psychologists and counsellors. The scale may be used to assess students’ perceived competencies relative to actual competency growth against national standards, and to identify trainees’ and practitioners’ self-perceived knowledge deficits and target areas for additional training.

Details

Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, vol. 9 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2042-3896

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 August 2002

Pawan Budhwar, Andy Crane, Annette Davies, Rick Delbridge, Tim Edwards, Mahmoud Ezzamel, Lloyd Harris, Emmanuel Ogbonna and Robyn Thomas

Wonders whether companies actually have employees best interests at heart across physical, mental and spiritual spheres. Posits that most organizations ignore their workforce …

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Abstract

Wonders whether companies actually have employees best interests at heart across physical, mental and spiritual spheres. Posits that most organizations ignore their workforce – not even, in many cases, describing workers as assets! Describes many studies to back up this claim in theis work based on the 2002 Employment Research Unit Annual Conference, in Cardiff, Wales.

Details

Management Research News, vol. 25 no. 8/9/10
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0140-9174

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 20 March 2017

Christina Ling-hsing Chang

The purpose of this paper is to suggest that the information ethics (IE) of students appear to improve more through adoption of the technology mediated learning (TML) platform…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to suggest that the information ethics (IE) of students appear to improve more through adoption of the technology mediated learning (TML) platform rather than face-to-face (FTF) approach. In addition, it shows the pattern changes in each scenario resulting from the ethics training and analyses them from the Confucian ethics perspective, indicating that researchers should consider this aspect in future models.

Design/methodology/approach

This study employed non-parametric methods to test the outcome of the “information ethics course” of two kinds of training platforms. FTF training: 193 students; TML training: 185 students.

Findings

The TML platform produces a more significant improvement in the students’ respect for rules, privacy, accessibility, and intellectual property (IP) cognition, rather than the FTF method. Based on the findings, two propositions (eight sub-propositions) are formulated and revised two sub-propositions.

Research limitations/implications

However, this study has a few limitations that can be enhanced by further research in the future: first, the data were only collected from one university (National Pingtung University), thus, the external validity is not satisfactory for all Chinese context students. Second, it is necessary to collect both of scenario-based and qualitative data from different cultural context students (such as Mainland China, the USA, Europe, Arabia, etc.) and then compare their results, thereby making further contributions to the current study. Third, the study was intentionally used as the measure of progress in ethical understanding without highlighting the difference between intentionality and actual behavior.

Originality/value

Teachers should draw upon the principles of Ren, Yi, and Li, from the Confucian ethics perspective to encourage students to respect the IE for Chinese context students. In addition, emphasis should be placed on the ability of students to build their information ethics cognition through the cognitive information processing learning methods, which can enhance the “accessibility,” “accuracy,” “privacy,” and “IP” cognition of Chinese students in both the FTF and TML platform learning process. This will help to reduce students’ unethical behavior as they advance in their future careers.

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