PurposeThe aim of this study is to examine factors related to employee engagement in frontline jobs in service firms.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model was developed and tested on a survey in which 279 hospitality frontline employees participated.FindingsThe findings show that employee engagement is closely linked to employees' innovative behaviour. Accordingly, the study clearly reveals the value of having an engaged frontline workforce. Moreover, the results show that perceptions of role benefit, job autonomy, and strategic attention were all significantly related to greater employee engagement.Research limitations/implicationsThis study limits its examination to the antecedents and effects of employee engagement for two types of service organizations.Practical implicationsThe study has demonstrated the importance for managers of having an engaged workforce. In particular, it is important for managers to notice that engagement is a major driver to innovative behaviour. Consequently, one general and key practical implication from this study is the importance for mangers to measure regularly the engagement of their workforce.Originality/valueThis paper enhances one's knowledge of factors linked to employee engagement.

Background Hospitals need to understand how to reduce their frontline employees’ turnover rate as well as how to positively engage them and improve their service. Central to these issues, we find, is the employees’ perception of their organization’s attractiveness. This objective of this paper is to clarify how the role of organizational attractiveness relates to frontline employees’ perception of their internal market-oriented culture as well as their turnover rate, engagement, and service quality. To our knowledge, no previous research has explored the role of organizational attractiveness from a frontline employee perspective in health-service organizations. Methods The conceptual framework we developed was tested in a quantitative study. We sent a questionnaire to nurses in several public hospitals in Norway. We then analyzed the data with confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling in Stata. Further, we performed multi-group comparisons to test heterogeneity in personal characteristics. The indirect effects were tested by mediator analyses. Results We made three main findings. First, organizational attractiveness has a significant positive effect on frontline employees’ engagement (β = 0.833) as well as on the service quality they provide to hospital patients (β = 0.472). Additionally, it significantly lowers their turnover rate (β = − 0.729). Second, the ‘internal market-oriented culture’ (IMOC) has a significantly positive effect on organizational attractiveness (β = 0.587) and explains a total of 35% of the variance in organizational attractiveness. Third, organizational attractiveness fully mediates the relationship between “internal market-oriented culture” (IMOC) and frontline employees’ engagement and the service quality they provide to patients, and it partially mediates the relationship with the turnover rate. Conclusions This study proves that organizational attractiveness is vital for hospital managers to focus on, as it affects employees’ perception of whether the organizations is a great place to work. It reveals the need for those same managers to develop an internal market-oriented culture (IMOC) directed toward hospital frontline employees, as it has both a direct effect on organizational attractiveness and an indirect effect on employees’ engagement, turnover intention, and service quality. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12913-019-4144-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to describe and explain the relationships between empowering leadership and a humorous work climate; and service employees' creativity and innovative behaviour in frontline service jobs.Design/methodology/approachA model of causal relationships is presented, along with formulated hypotheses. The data were collected with a survey answered by frontline service employees in hotels.FindingsThe findings indicate a strong relationship between frontline cognitive creativity production of novel ideas and the behavioural implementation of these ideas into their respective work role. Moreover, the empirical findings indicate that both empowering leadership and a humorous work climate are able to trigger frontline service employees' creativity. In addition service employees' creativity appears to be a mediating variable in the relationship between empowering leadership, a humorous work climate, and the service employees' innovative behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsThis study limits its focus on two factors: the stimulation of service employees' creativity and innovative behaviour in frontline service jobs, both of which offer opportunities for further research.Practical implicationsThis study has indicated that both leadership practice and work climate play important roles in explaining service employees' creativity and innovative behaviour. In particular, managers should be aware of their empowering practices, as well focusing on the degree of a humorous work climate. An important practical managerial implication from the findings is to take humour into account and consequently to develop and implement strategies followed by necessary actions to manage humour in an appropriate manner in service organizations.Originality/valueThe reported study contributes to enhancing the knowledge of the roles of empowering leadership and a humorous work climate for service employees' creativity and innovative behaviour in frontline service jobs.

Purpose – This paper aims to identify factors that could be related to creative self-efficacy. Specifically, this article examines three different levels of factors as determinants to creative self-efficacy: leader-related, self-related and job-related. After careful consideration, this study selected one determinant to represent each of the three factors. Transformational leadership represented the leader-related factors, learning orientation represented the self-related factors and autonomy represented the job-related factors of creative self-efficacy. This article also aims to examine the effect of creative self-efficacy on what is called innovative activities. Design/methodology/approach – Drawing from theory the study presents a conceptual model of the aforementioned relationships. The data collection is based on a survey with a sample of employees in hospitality organizations. Findings – The findings reveal that the job-related factors (autonomy) were the most influential determinants to creative self-efficacy, followed by the self-related factors (learning orientation) and finally leader-related factors (transformational leadership). Furthermore, creative self-efficacy has a positive effect on innovative activities. Creative self-efficacy was found to have a mediating role between the three determinant variables and the effect variable. Research limitations/implications – This study is limited to a selection of three different factors as determinants to creative self-efficacy and only one effect variable. Future research should focus on other variables that may be related to creative self-efficacy. This article suggests three main areas related to creative self-efficacy that future research should specifically focus on. Practical implications – This study stresses the importance for managers to understand that creative self-efficacy is an important motivational factor for behavioural outcomes such as innovative activities. Moreover, it stresses the need for managers to give employees the necessary freedom to act on the basis of self-determination in their job role. Simultaneously, it points to the importance of building a climate and culture that triggers an individual learning orientation, increasing the creative capital in hospitality organizations. In general, this study demonstrates that creative self-efficacy may be a key personal attribute in the workplace where innovation is essential and an important aspect of firm's competitive advantage. Originality/value – Creative self-efficacy is a relatively new concept. This study contributes to the understanding of this phenomenon.

PurposeThe objective of this paper is to test the validity and reliability of a SOS construct and its dimensions (i.e. self, other and situational) of negative emotions in the context of consumers' service experience (CSE) and the following processes of service recovery by firms (SRF).Design/methodology/approachA triangular approach was used, based on interviews and a survey in the Norwegian tourism industry. This paper reports the results from the survey consisting of 3,104 customers.FindingsExploratory and confirmatory factor analyses have been used to examine and test the SOS construct of negative emotions in CSE and SRF. The SOS construct tested has indicated an acceptable fit, validity and reliability.Research limitations/implicationsThe SOS construct of CSE and SRF may be seen as a seed for future research in refining and extending endeavors of managing critical incidents in CSE and SRF.Practical implicationsStrategies to manage CSE and SRF should be aimed at solving the three different SOS dimensions of negative incidents in service encounters, namely those that are caused by the customer, the company, or the situation.Originality/valueThe SOS construct brings together, complements and fortifies existing theory and previous research in the context of negative emotions in CSE and SRF.

PurposeThis study clarifies the factors that foster individual innovative behaviour in the public sector by examining the effects and roles of empowering leadership, work group cohesiveness and individual learning orientation. This study also explores the direct effect of empowering leadership on work group cohesiveness and individual learning orientation, the influence of work group cohesiveness on individual learning orientation and the mediating roles of work group cohesiveness and individual learning orientation.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from an online survey of respondents working in a public sector organization. Partial least squares structural equation modelling and mediation analysis by the bootstrap method were used for the data analysis.FindingsEmpowering leadership and individual learning orientation had significant direct effects on individual innovative behaviour. Both empowering leadership and work group cohesiveness have significant direct effects on individual learning orientation. Empowering leadership was positively related to work group cohesiveness. The mediation analysis revealed that individual learning orientation mediates the relationships between empowering leadership and individual innovative behaviour and between work group cohesiveness and individual innovative behaviour.Research limitations/implicationsThe study focuses on three factors that foster individual innovative behaviour in a public sector organization.Originality/valueThis study offers new insights into the factors that foster individual innovative behaviour in the public sector. The findings reveal the importance of using a balanced leadership style and encourage learning in the workplace for individual innovativeness by public leaders.

Service quality and turnover intentions as perceived by employees: Antecedents and consequences Terje Slåtten Göran Svensson Sander Svaeri Article information:To cite this document: Terje Slåtten Göran Svensson Sander Svaeri, (2011),"Service quality and turnover intentions as perceived by employees", Personnel Review, Vol. 40 Iss 2 pp. 205 -221 Permanent link to this document: http://dx.If you would like to write for this, or any other Emerald publication, then please use our Emerald for Authors service information about how to choose which publication to write for and submission guidelines are available for all. Please visit www.emeraldinsight.com/authors for more information. About Emerald www.emeraldinsight.comEmerald is a global publisher linking research and practice to the benefit of society. The company manages a portfolio of more than 290 journals and over 2,350 books and book series volumes, as well as providing an extensive range of online products and additional customer resources and services.Emerald is both COUNTER 4 and TRANSFER compliant. The organization is a partner of the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE) and also works with Portico and the LOCKSS initiative for digital archive preservation. AbstractPurpose -The objective of this paper is to test a selection of hypothesized relationships between: employees' perceived service quality; employees' turnover intentions; role clarity; and empowerment and coaching. Design/methodology/approach -Drawing from theory, this paper develops a set of hypothesized relationships. The data collection is based on a survey with a sample of 1,076 frontline employees in service organizations. Findings -There are indications that employees' perceived service quality has a direct negative effect on employees' turnover intentions. The effect of empowerment, coaching, and role clarity on turnover intention appears to be mediated through employees' perceived service quality. Research limitations/implications -This study is limited to a selection of variables related to employees' turnover intentions. Future research may focus on testing other variables that may be related to employees' turnover intentions. Practical implications -This study stresses the importance for managers in service organizations to measure employees' perceived service quality. The results show that there are both direct and indirect relationships to employees' turnover intentions. The conclusion is that employees' perceived service quality is an important consideration with respect to employee-turnover management. Originality/value -This study has developed and tested a set of hypothesized relationships in the field of service management.

Purpose -This study aims to focus on what types of atmospheric experiences emotionally touch visitors at a winter park. The objective is to describe and explain the relationship between: three atmospheric constructs (ambience, interaction, and design); the construct of joy; and the construct of customer loyalty. Design/methodology/approach -The research data are based on a study of customers visiting a Norwegian winter park, in which 162 visitors participated in the survey. Confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling were used to test the measurements and structural properties between atmospheric experiences, joy, and loyalty to winter parks. Findings -The findings reveal that two out of the three constructs of atmospheric experiences are linked to customers' feelings of joy, namely, design and interaction. The atmospheric construct of design had the strongest impact on customers' emotions. Furthermore, the study finds that customers' feelings of joy are highly related to the construct of customer loyalty.Research limitations/implications -The study limits its focus to one type of hedonic service, namely customers visiting a winter park. Although the results from the study offer implications for other winter parks, there is a need for further research in other hedonic services to verify their validity, reliability, and generality. Practical implications -The study emphasizes how important it is that managers of hedonic services consider the significance of the atmospheric construct of design in such a way that it contributes positively to customers' experiences of the service setting. In particular, managers should focus on design in relation to customers' experiences in order to evoke feelings of joy. Originality/value -The study establishes the need to manage customers' atmospheric experiences in winter parks. It also links atmospheric constructs to customers' emotions.