The Interactive Influence of Frontline Employee Motivational Orientation and Service Climate/Strength Upon Employee Need Satisfaction and Performance

• Published in: Journal of service research : JSR Vol. 27; no. 4; pp. 617 - 635
• Main Authors: Jung, Jin Ho, Yoo, Jaewon, Arnold, Todd J., Ryu, Seongmin
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 01.11.2024; SAGE PUBLICATIONS, INC
• Subjects: need satisfaction; meta-analysis; climate strength; avoidance orientation; approach orientation; service climate
• ISSN: 1094-6705; 1552-7379
• DOI: 10.1177/10946705231190012

A frontline employee’s motivational orientation toward the role s/he plays in an organization is an important determinant of the level of service that is ultimately provided to a customer. In this study, we propose and demonstrate that frontline employees possess two different forms of motivational orientation to frame their work in both positive (i.e., approach) and negative (i.e., avoidance) ways. We demonstrate that need satisfaction, or an employee’s fulfilling needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, mediates the positive relationship between approach orientation and service performance, as well as the negative relationship between avoidance orientation and service performance. Further, such effects are influenced by both service climate and service climate strength. Our investigation relies on a mixed-method design that develops and uses measures for service climate and service climate strength at the team level (Study One), as well as within a scenario-based experiment to manipulate service climate and service climate strength (Study Two). Results of a meta-analysis are presented to highlight the gap in research related to understanding frontline employee motivational orientation and its influence upon service performance.