“Turning role conflict into performance”: assessing the moderating role of self-monitoring, manager trust and manager identification

Abstract

PurposeThis study examines the contextual variables that can curb the negative effects of role conflict on job satisfaction and enhance the positive effect of job satisfaction on creativity and service performance. More specifically, adopting the job demands-resources theory, the authors explore the interactive effect of frontline employee (FLE) self-monitoring and FLE-manager trust on the relationship between role conflict and job satisfaction. Extending this line of inquiry, the authors adopt social identity theory and analyze the moderating effect of FLE-manager identification on the relationship between job satisfaction and creativity and between job satisfaction and service performance.Design/methodology/approachDyadic data utilizing 122 responses from FLEs and their managers were obtained from FLEs working with a major financial services firm in India. Structural equation modeling and PLS were used to assess the hypothesized relationships.FindingsThe negative relationship between role conflict and job satisfaction is reduced at higher levels of FLE self-monitoring and FLE-manager trust. Furthermore, FLE manager identification accentuates the effect of job satisfaction on creativity and service performance.Practical implicationsOrganizations should invest in developing FLEs' personal and job-related resources to reduce the deleterious effects of role conflicts on FLEs' job outcomes. Specifically, managers should hire FLEs who are high in self-monitoring while enhancing FLE-manager trust and FLE-manager identification.Originality/valueRole conflict is inevitable in a service job and can have serious negative downstream consequences. Hence, the study explores the important contextual factors that can help an organization develop policies to reduce the negative effects of role conflict.

The differential effects of sales control systems on salespeople’s role stressors and performance in the pharmaceutical industry

“…We contend that capability control can be used to provide salespeople with feedback on the knowledge and skills required to provide excellent customer service (Fang et al , 2005) and Capability information is used to improve salespeople’s sales skills and capabilities (Epler et al , 2023; Kalra et al , 2023a, 2023b) so that they can skillfully seek, process and understand customer feedback (Carver and Scheier, 1982). Salespeople articulate their goals by gathering and interpreting role information from customers under their capability control (Challagalla and Shervani, 1996).…”

“…However, in a common conclusion of role stress research, role stress is associated with negative value states, leading to tension and low job satisfaction (Jackson and Schuler, 1985; Kim et al , 2009; Schwepker and Hartline, 2005). For example, according to the COR theory, interrole conflict can result in a loss of resources or an imbalance between resources and needs, leading to negative psychological outcomes that include dissatisfaction with the job, depression, anxiety, burnout, physiological tension (Bagozzi and Verbeke, 2020; Jex, 1998; Kahn et al , 1964; Kalra et al , 2023a, 2023b; Talukder, 2019). In addition, Kohli (1985) demonstrated that greater role clarity increases job satisfaction.…”

“…As the salesforce serves as the company’s primary point of contact with its corporate customers, it supports development of customized goods and services for customers, relationship marketing and successful new product launches (Good and Schwepker, 2022; Khan et al , 2022; Morgan and Hunt, 1994). At the selling stage, the sales organization provides the sales team with guidelines about a wide range of selling approaches and use of new systems (Corsaro and Maggioni, 2022; Kalra et al , 2023a, 2023b), or information about developed strategic processes such as those related tools, resources and training (Peterson et al , 2021; Rapp and Beeler, 2021).…”

“…In this overall context, sales control systems have appeared in the sales management literature (Anderson and Oliver, 1987; Kalra et al , 2023a, 2023b; Miao and Evans, 2013; Park and Hur, 2023). Among them, behavior control has been much studied as a tool to improve performance.…”