PDF - Journal of Management Sciences
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PDF - Journal of Management Sciences
Journal of Contemporary Management Sciences Volume 1 (3) 61-70 JCMS Publication, 2014 Journal of Contemporary Management Sciences THE EFFECT OF JOB RESOURCEFULNESS ON SERVICE RECOVERY PERFORMANCE: MEDIATING ROLE OF CUSTOMER ORIENTATION ROMINA CHERAGHALIZADEH Abstract: The main aim of this study is to investigate whether job resourcefulness increases customer orientation that in turn fosters service recovery performance. A cross-sectional of 246 hotel industry employees was implemented through questionnaire in Iran. This study applied the mediated regression to check the effects of dimensions and test the mediating role of customer orientation on the relationship between job resourcefulness and service recovery performance. Findings of the study proved that job resourcefulness significantly associated with customer orientation and also customer orientation significantly related to service recovery performance. Results show that customer orientation partially mediates the relationship between job resourcefulness and service recovery performance. The implications and practice are discussed. Key words: Customer orientation, Hotel industry, Job resourcefulness, Service recovery performance. 1. Introduction Frontline employees have an essential role to provide quality services and deal with recovery efforts to return dissatisfied customers especially in hospitality industry. Job resourcefulness enables employees to continue their responsibilities in the face of adversity in particular work environment (Ashill et al., 2009). Employees who are job resourceful try to do their best devoid resources (Harris et al., 2007). Also customer orientation enables employees to interact with customer properly and provide high quality services in work environment (Babakus et al., 2009). They try to satisfy customers and consider on their needs. Frontline employees are copulative between organization and customers to delivery services (Mukherjee and Malhotra, 2006) and play essential role to maintain relationship with customers (Yoon et al., 2001). They interact with customer directly and also influence on customer intentions (Malhotra and Mukherjee, 2004). Induced the scarcity of research on job resourcefulness (Karatepe, 2011); this study considers on the effect of job resourcefulness on service recovery performance as a job outcome. Also most of researches about customer orientation and job resourcefulness have been done in western and developed countries (e.g. United States and Germany); thus, generalization of the results to the other countries such as nonwestern and developing countries was the limitation of those researches. Therefore, this study uses data from frontline hotel employees in Iran which is known as developing country. This research aims and tests a conceptual model that considers on whether there is significant association between job resourcefulness and customer orientation and also between customer orientation and service recovery performance. Furthermore, this study considers on customer orientation as a mediator of the relationship between job resourcefulness and service recovery performance. In the following section relevant literature has provided. It continues with research method and results. At end research provides discussion about findings and proposal for future study. 2. Conceptual framework and research model 2.1. Relationship between job resourcefulness and customer orientation Job resourcefulness defined as ‘the enduring situation to garner rare resources and dominate barriers to following of job-related goals’ (Licat et al., 2003, p. 258). Empirical studies indicated that job resourcefulness has positive effect on customer orientation (Harris et al., 2006; Licata et al., 2003). Study of Karatepe and Douri (2012) indicated that job resourceful employees have the ability to deal with their tasks under limited resources and satisfy customer based on their expectation. Job resourceful employees can manage situation to dominate barriers and obstacles by managing limited resources. Study of Silva (2006) indicated that the personality traits (e.g. emotional stability) are positively associated with job outcomes. Also the results of other study which conducted among frontline hotel employees in Northern Cyprus demonstrated that trait competitiveness, effort and self-efficacy are positively related with job performance and job satisfaction (Karatepe et al., 2006). Therefore, following hypothesis is proposed: H. Job resourcefulness has positive effect on customer orientation. 2.2. Relationship between customer orientation and service recovery performance According to study of Babakus and Yavas (2012), service providers carry out their tasks to pursue service recovery performance. Also customer orientation has an essential role to increase organizational performance (Pan and Zinkhan, 2006). High customer orientated employees are polite and friendly and tend to solve customers’ problem (Donavan et al., 2004); also they are stable emotionally while interaction with clients. Babakus et al. (2009) indicated the positive relationship between customer orientation and service recovery performance in New Zealand. Another study showed that customer oriented employees try to satisfy and return dissatisfied customers and solve their problems (Kwon and Park, 2005). There is empirical study to show that customer orientation leads to positive job outcomes. For instance, study of Donavan et al. (2004) indicated that customer orientation enhances organizational commitment, job satisfaction and organizational citizenship behaviors. Rod and Ashill (2010) in their study showed that customer orientation directly and positively effects on service recovery performance, also there is an indirect relationship between these variables through organizational commitment and job satisfaction. Boshoff and Allen (2000) investigated the effect of customer orientation on service recovery performance among bank employees and found that there is not any significant relationship between customer orientation and service recovery performance in this industry. According to abovementioned literatures it seems to be positive relationship between customer orientation and service recovery performance. Therefore, following hypothesis is proposed: H2. There is a positive relationship between customer orientation and service recovery performance. 2.3. Mediating role of customer orientation Also his study investigated the effect of customer orientation as a mediator between job resourcefulness and service recovery performance. As Harris et al. (2006) discussed, frontline employees can experience higher level of job satisfaction if they fit correctly in a resource scarcity environment. Therefore, their satisfaction is more likely mediates by customer orientation in the organization. This is true for customer service since surface-level traits have more vicinity to behavioral intentions and outcomes such as job performance (Karatepe and Douri, 2012). Study of Licata et al. (2003) indicated that customer orientation partially mediates the relationship among job resourcefulness and job performance. Another study demonstrated the full mediator effect of customer orientation between job resourcefulness and job satisfaction (Harris et al., 2006). Thus, the following hypothesis is exerted: H3. Customer orientation mediates the relationship between job resourcefulness and service recovery performance. Conceptual model of this research provides in Figure 1. c Job resourcefulness Customer orientation Service recovery performance Figure1. Research model 3. Methods 3.1. Sample and procedures Data of this research gathered from frontline employees of four and five-star hotels in Iran. To ensure employees about confidentiality questionnaires were distributed and returned directly by researcher and respondents were asked to answer the questionnaire in a self-administered manner. All frontline employees had the same chance to participate in this study. This study has considered on only frontline employees because frontline employees interact with customers directly and should be responsible for customer needs and requires; therefore they are in the position that enables them to return dissatisfied customers. In order to collecting data, after getting permission, only 11 hotels accepted to participate in this study. From 357 distributed questionnaires, 288 questionnaires were returned and only 246 of responses were usable with the overall response rate of 69%. In order to developing questionnaire in Persian, the questionnaire prepared in English originally, and then items were subjected to standard translation and back translation process (Brislin, 1970). Twenty two employees were targeted for pilot study and responses showed that there were not lack of clarity and confusion in their responses. 3.2. Measures This study used pre-existing measuring items for each construct. Job resourcefulness comprised four items adapted by Harris et al. (2006). Four items were adapted by Licata et al. (2003) to measure customer orientation. Service recovery performance as criterion variable measured by three items was adapted by Boshoff and Allen (2000). All items are measured on five-point Likert scale that range from 5 (strongly agree) to 1 (strongly disagree). Age was measured with a 5-point scale. Gender was coded as a binary variable (0 = male and 1 = female). Education was measured with 5-point scales. Marital status was coded as a binary variable (0 = married and 1 = unmarried). 4. Results 4.1. Respondents’ profile Table 1 showed demographic breakdown of study’s population. Sixty percent of respondents were male and the rest were female. Around half of participants (52 %) were married and 48% were single. The majority of respondents (57 %) had academic degree; while 18% had primary school education and 25% had secondary school education. Twenty five percent of respondents aged between 18 and 27; 32% of them were between 28 and 37 years old and 19% of participant were between 38 and 47. The rest were older than 57. TABLE 1 Respondents’ Profile (n = 246) Frequency Percentage 18-27 61 24.8 28-37 79 32.1 38-47 46 18.7 48-57 37 15.0 >58 23 9.3 Total 246 100.0 Male 147 59.8 Female 99 40.2 246 100.0 Age Gender Total Marital status Unmarried 119 48.4 Married 127 51.6 Total 246 100.0 Primary school 44 17.9 Secondary school 61 24.8 Bachelor degree 107 43.5 34 13.8 246 100.0 Education Master degree Total 4.2. Reliability and validity Reliabilities of all variables ranged between .55 and .89. This result demonstrated satisfactory level of reliability. Also result of exploratory factor analysis produced three factors and showed existence of discriminant and convergent validity; however, one item of customer orientation eliminated due to cross loading. All factors totally explained 65% of variance. Harmans’ single factor test utilized to testing the potential threat of common method bias. Result showed that only 30% of variance explained by one factor; it demonstrated that approach of this study minimized the threat of common method bias. 4.3. Test of hypotheses Table 2 shows the correlation between variables. This study used the method of Barron and Kenny (1986) for mediation analysis. First condition is related to significant relationship between job resourcefulness and customer orientation. As can be seen in table 2, job resourcefulness (r = .16) significantly associated with customer orientation. Therefore, hypothesis 1 is supported. In second condition relationship between job resourcefulness and service recovery performance has considered. Result showed that there is significant relationship between job resourcefulness and service recovery performance (r = .15). Thus, hypothesis 2 is supported. Also according to Barron and Kenny, third condition is related to significant relationship between mediator and criterion variable and table 2 displays that customer orientation significantly associated with service recovery performance (r = .18). Last condition is related to testing the mediating effect. As can be seen in table 3 the beta coefficients reveal that job resourcefulness has significant effect on service recovery performance (β= .15, t-value =2.39). Meanwhile, customer orientation also has a significant effect on service recovery performance (β=.16, t-value=2.60). After entering the effect of customer orientation, beta coefficient related to job resourcefulness reduced from (β=.15) to (β=.12); however the effect is still significant. Therefore, customer orientation partially mediate the relationship between job resourcefulness and service recovery performance and hypothesis 3 supported. However, it is marginally significant according to Sobel test result (1.76, p < .10). Table 2. Mean, standard deviation and correlation between research variables Variables Mean SD 1 2 1. Age - - - 2. Gender - - .05 * 3 4 -.08 -.18** - - -.14 4. Education - - -.09 -.04 * 5. JR 2.33 .95 -.05 .17 6. CO 2.58 .57 -.04 .10 2.46 1.08 .07 6 7 - 3. Marital status 7. SR 5 -.09 - -.04 -.07 (.89) -.05 -.012 .16* -.01 -.01 .15 ** (.55) . 18** (.85) SD denotes standard deviation. Diagonal (in brackets): coefficient alpha * Correlations are significant at the .05 level. ** Correlations are significant at the .01 level. TABLE 4 REGRESSION RESULTS: Direct and Mediating Effects Dependent variable and standardized regression weights Service recovery performance β t .15 2.39** β t Variables: Job resourcefulness Customer orientation - - F - 5.72** - .02 R2 R 2 Sobel test: - - 1.98* .12 2.60** .16 6.75** - .05 .03 Job resourcefulness Customer orientation Service recovery performance: 1.76 ** P<.05 5. Conclusion Finding of this research revealed that job resourcefulness increases customer orientation. This finding confirms the previous research in this field (Harris et al., 2006; Karatepe and Douri, 2012). Job resourceful employees can manage limited resources according to customer needs. They have the ability to deal with their tasks under limited resources and satisfy customer based on their expectation. Job resourceful employees can manage situation to dominate barriers and obstacles by managing limited resources. Researches of Babakus et al. (2009) and Ashill (2010) indicated the positive relationship between customer orientation and service recovery performance; results showed that finding of this research confirms previous studies in this field. Customer orientated employees have composure while interacting with clients and are interested to solve their problems; this manner increases customer satisfaction and may return dissatisfied ones. Also this study confirms that customer orientation partially mediates the relationship between job resourcefulness and service recovery performance. Organizations can return dissatisfied customers if they manage employees’ posts correctly in a resource scarcity environment. Therefore, employees have more intention to attain outcomes and satisfy customers if they fit in right places. 5.1. Managerial implication To return dissatisfied customers, manager of hotels should fit suitable employees in right job position. These employees are able to manage limited resources and deal with satisfactory of customers. According to finding of this research job resourceful employees are interested to return dissatisfied customers and allocate limited resources to satisfy them. It will be beneficial for organization to hire job resourceful employees; therefore, it needs more attention to the functions of human resource department. 5.2. Limitations Common method bias is the potential threat of each study; however this study considered on the method of data collection to decrease the probability of this threat. Questionnaires distributed and gathered directly by researcher for anonymity of respondents. This study is based on self-reported data and cross- sectional design; it would be better if longitudinal design has been used in this study. The last limitation is about generalization of research results. Data of this study gathered from Iran which is known as developing country and third world country. Therefore, the result may not be generalizable to developed countries. 5.3. Future research direction Future research can investigate the effect of job resourcefulness as inherent capability on job outcomes such turnover intention, job satisfaction and job performance; because the results and implication will be beneficial for managers. References Ashill, N.J., Rod, M., Thirkell, P., Carruthers, J. 2009. Job resourcefulness, symptoms of burnout and service recovery performance: An examination of call centre frontline employees. Journal of Services Marketing, 23(5), 338–350. Babakus, E., Yavas, U., 2012. Customer orientation as a buffer against job burnout.The Service Industries Journal 32 (1), 5–16. Babakus, E., Yavas, U., Ashill, N.J. 2009. The role of customer orientation as a moderator of the job demand-burnout-performance relationship: A surface-level trait perspective. Journal of Retailing, 85(4), 480–492. Boshoff, C. and Allen, J. 2000. The influence of selected antecedents on frontline staff’s perceptions of service recovery performance, International Journal of Service Industry Management, 11(1), .63–90. Brislin, R.W. 1970. Back-translation for cross-cultural research, Journal of Cross- Cultural Psychology, 1, 185–216. Donavan, D., Brown, T., Mowen, T., 2004. Internal benefits of service-worker customer orientation: job satisfaction, commitment, and organizational citizenship behavior. Journal of Marketing 68 (1), 128–146. Harris, E.G., Artis, A.B., Fogliasso, C., Fleming, D.E. 2007. Hospital employee job resourcefulness: An empirical study and implications for health care marketing. Health Marketing Quarterly, 24(1/2), 63–75. Harris, E.G., Artis, A.B.,Walters, J.H., Licata, J.W. 2006. Role stressors, job resourcefulness, and job outcomes: An empirical analysis. Journal of Business Research, 59(4), 407–415. Karatepe, O.M. 2011. Job resourcefulness as a moderator of the work family conflict,job satisfaction relationship: A study of hotel employees in Nigeria. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 18, 10– 17. Karatepe, O.M., Douri, G.B. 2012. Does Customer Orientation Mediate the Effect of Job Resourcefulness on Hotel Employee Outcomes? Evidence from Iran. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 19 (13), 1-10. Kwon, Y.H., Park, T.S., 2005. A study on the effects of intra-organizational antecedents to service recovery performance. Journal of Korea Service Management Society, 6 (3), 53–75. Licata, J.W., Mowen, J.C., Harris, E.G., Brown, T.J. 2003. On the trait antecedents and outcomes of service worker job resourcefulness: A hierarchical model approach. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 31(3), 256–271. Malhotra, N. and Mukherjee, A. 2004, The relative influence of organizational commitment and job satisfaction on service quality of customer-contact employees in banking call centers. Journal of Services Marketing, 18(3) 162-74. Mukherjee, A. and Malhotra, N. 2006. Does role clarity explain employee-perceived service quality? A study of antecedents and consequences in call centers. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 17 (5), 444-473. Rod, M., & Ashill, N.J. 2010. The effect of customer orientation on frontline employees job outcomes in a new public management context. Marketing Intelligence and Planning, 28(5), 600–624. Silva, P. 2006. Effects of disposition on hospitality employee job satisfaction and commitment. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 18(4), 317–328. Pan, Y., Zinkhan, G.M., 2006. Determinants of retail patronage: a meta analytical perspective. Journal of Retailing 82 (3), 229–244. Yoon, M.H., Beatty, S.E. and Suh, J. 2001. The effect of work climate on critical employee and customer outcomes: an employee-level analysis. International Journal of Service Industry Management, 12 (5), 500-522. Appendix. Measures of the constructs Job resourcefulness (Harris et al., 2006) When it comes to completing tasks at my job I am very clever and enterprising. I am able to make things happen in the face of scarcity at my job. At my job, I think I am fairly a resourceful person. On the job I am clever and inventive in overcoming barriers. Customer orientation (Licata et al., 2003) I try to help customers achieve their goals. I try to get customers to discuss their needs with me. I take a problem-solving approach with my customers. I am able to keep the best interest of the customer in mind. Service recovery performance (Boshoff and Allen, 2000) Considering all the things I do, I handle dissatisfied customers quite well. I do not mind dealing with complaining customers. Satisfying complaining customers is a great thrill to me.