Paper Title
Investing in Organizational Social Capital: Key to Better Service for Boundary Spanners
Abstract
The prevailing view in the services marketing literature suggests that employees arethe organization in the minds of customers. Although many researchers have pointed out the importance of employee attitudes in satisfying customers (Hur, Moon and Jung 2015; Zeithaml et al. 1996), the mechanisms that form a facilitating work environment for customer contact employees (CCEs) still need further clarification. Since CCEs interact with customers on a daily basis, managers need to develop ways to motivate and increase their adaptability, customer orientation and attitude towards the brand so that these employees are better equipped to do their jobs. This study proposes a conceptual framework for enhancing CCE perceptions of justice, adaptability, motivation, customer orientation and attitude towards the brand through investments in social capital (IOSC). It also examines the direct and indirect effects of IOSC on employee attitudes and behaviors. Data from CCEs reveals that IOSC not only increases CCE motivation, customer orientation and attitude towards the brand through CCE adaptability and perceptions of justice indirectly, but also customer orientation directly. Moreover, CCEs’ perceptions of justice moderate the influence of IOSC on CCE motivation.
Keywords - Frontline Service Employees, Investments in Organizational Social Capital, Justice, Adaptability, Customer Orientation, Motivation, Attitude towards the Brand.