Customer response to employee emotional labor: the structural relationship between emotional labor, job satisfaction, and customer satisfaction

Abstract

Purpose – This study aims to extend emotional labor theories to the customer outcomes by examining a theoretical model of how emotional labor performed by the service worker affects customer satisfaction in a mediated way. Design/methodology/approach – Structural equation modeling analyses partially support for our hypotheses from 282 dyadic survey data [i.e. service interactions customers (seniors) and service employees (caregivers)] from a home caregiver firm in South Korea. Findings – The results of our study found that employee’s emotional regulation strategies of deep acting and surface acting differentially affect customer satisfaction, and that employee’s job satisfaction mediates the relationship between employee’s emotional regulation strategies and customer satisfaction. More specifically, the relationship between surface acting and customer satisfaction is fully mediated by employee’s job satisfaction, whereas the relationship between deep acting and customer satisfaction is partially mediated by employee’s job satisfaction. Originality/value – Our study is the first to provide an empirical test of how employee job satisfaction mediates the relationship between employee emotional labor and customer satisfaction in service interactions. This research sheds light on the crucial role of employee job satisfaction that can be an important consideration to boost service quality and customer satisfaction by facilitating employee emotional labor.

Beyond chemistry: the role of employee emotional competence in personalized services

“…Similarly, Hur et al (2015) found that employee's emotional regulation strategies at work affect customer satisfaction. Kearney et al (2017) recently showed that emotional intelligence in front-line services employees is positively correlated with different customer-oriented citizenship behaviours.…”

A Conceptual Model of Organizational Culture and Its Implications in the Service Sector

“…Research on organizational behavior has consistently shown that across a wide range of industries, the job satisfaction of service workers has a positive impact on customer satisfaction (Hur, Moon & Jung, 2015). Previous research has found a positive and significant correlation between employee satisfaction and customer orientation (Aydin & Ceylan, 2011).…”

La Lealtad de los Clientes y su Relación con la Lealtad de los Colaboradores

“…Muchos académicos afirman que los empleados leales generan clientes leales, pero para conseguir la lealtad de los colaboradores la organización debe estar dispuesta a garantizar el ambiente en el que los clientes internos se desarrollan para conseguir la satisfacción laboral que contribuya a mejores niveles de productividad, lo que desembocaría en la entrega de servicios de valor y al final mejores niveles de satisfacción de los clientes que generaría lealtad y crecimiento de la organización. (Adsit, London, Crom, & Jones, 1996;Barroso Castro et al, 2004;Bienstock, DeMoranville, & Smith, 2003;Bowers et al, 1990;Clark, 1997;Yoon & Suh, 2003) Conclusiones Los clientes responden a la labor de los colaboradores en las empresas de servicio; por esta razón los académicos y profesionales del área se empeñan en sugerir a los gerentes generales de las empresas de las distintas industrias del sector servicio cuidar sus procesos desde el reclutamiento, hasta la forma en que se capacita, bonifica y congratula a los colaboradores de este tipo de empresas, entendiendo que son personas que lidian con sus propias emociones y que deberán atender personas y lidiar con las emociones de estos (Gruber, Abosag, Reppel, & Szmigin, 2011;Hur, Moon, & Jung, 2015).…”