IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/ijrema/v33y2016i4p797-817.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Innovation in the frontline: Exploring the relationship between role conflict, ideas for improvement, and employee service performance

Author

Listed:
  • Schepers, Jeroen J.L.
  • Nijssen, Edwin J.
  • van der Heijden, Gielis A.H.

Abstract

Although practitioners and scholars recognize that frontline employees' (FLEs') performance may improve rather than suffer from role conflict, research has yet to show how firms can manage this complex process. This study proposes that employees' ideas for improvement are a crucial mediator in role conflict's positive influence on FLEs' service performance. A conditional process model was tested in two empirical studies with multisource data. Results show that role conflict positively influences service performance through the employee's ideas for improvement. Role conflict also has a direct negative effect on performance. Detailed moderating analyses, using a floodlight approach, show that role conflict's total effect on service performance is positive only when an employee's learning orientation and the manager's level of encouragement for improvement are aligned. In other cases role conflict does not affect, or can even seriously impair FLEs' service performance. This study is the first to demonstrate empirically how, and under what conditions, role conflict can lead to performance enhancement of FLEs. Our findings help marketing managers to leverage role conflict for service innovation and to serve customers better.

Suggested Citation

  • Schepers, Jeroen J.L. & Nijssen, Edwin J. & van der Heijden, Gielis A.H., 2016. "Innovation in the frontline: Exploring the relationship between role conflict, ideas for improvement, and employee service performance," International Journal of Research in Marketing, Elsevier, vol. 33(4), pages 797-817.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ijrema:v:33:y:2016:i:4:p:797-817
    DOI: 10.1016/j.ijresmar.2016.01.004
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0167811616300052
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2016.01.004?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Nicolai J. Foss & Keld Laursen & Torben Pedersen, 2011. "Linking Customer Interaction and Innovation: The Mediating Role of New Organizational Practices," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(4), pages 980-999, August.
    2. Coelho, Filipe & Augusto, Mário & Lages, Luis Filipe, 2011. "Contextual Factors and the Creativity of Frontline Employees: The Mediating Effects of Role Stress and Intrinsic Motivation," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 87(1), pages 31-45.
    3. Boichuk, Jeffrey P. & Menguc, Bulent, 2013. "Engaging Dissatisfied Retail Employees to Voice Promotive Ideas: The Role of Continuance Commitment," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 89(2), pages 207-218.
    4. Kozlowski, Steve W. J. & Gully, Stanley M. & Brown, Kenneth G. & Salas, Eduardo & Smith, Eleanor M. & Nason, Earl R., 2001. "Effects of Training Goals and Goal Orientation Traits on Multidimensional Training Outcomes and Performance Adaptability," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 85(1), pages 1-31, May.
    5. Filipe Coelho & Carlos Sousa, 2011. "From Goal Orientations to Employee Creativity and Performance: Evidence from Frontline Service Employees," GEMF Working Papers 2011-08, GEMF, Faculty of Economics, University of Coimbra.
    6. Wolfgang Ulaga & Werner Reinartz, 2011. "Hybrid Offerings: How Manufacturing Firms Combine Goods and Services Successfully," Post-Print hal-00642039, HAL.
    7. Ingrid M. Nembhard & Anita L. Tucker, 2011. "Deliberate Learning to Improve Performance in Dynamic Service Settings: Evidence from Hospital Intensive Care Units," Organization Science, INFORMS, vol. 22(4), pages 907-922, August.
    8. Trish Reay & Samia Chreim & Karen Golden-Biddle & Elizabeth Goodrick & B. E. (Bernie) Williams & Ann Casebeer & Amy Pablo & C. R. (Bob) Hinings, 2013. "Transforming New Ideas into Practice: An Activity Based Perspective on the Institutionalization of Practices," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 50(6), pages 963-990, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Johannes Hofmeister & Dominik K. Kanbach & Jens Hogreve, 2024. "Service productivity: a systematic review of a dispersed research area," Management Review Quarterly, Springer, vol. 74(3), pages 1249-1281, September.
    2. Ozlem Ozkok & Simon J. Bell & Jagdip Singh & Kwanghui Lim, 2019. "Frontline knowledge networks in open collaboration models for service innovations," AMS Review, Springer;Academy of Marketing Science, vol. 9(3), pages 268-288, December.
    3. Hammedi, Wafa & Leclercq, Thomas & Poncin, Ingrid & Alkire (Née Nasr), Linda, 2021. "Uncovering the dark side of gamification at work: Impacts on engagement and well-being," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 256-269.
    4. de Jong, Ad & Schepers, Jeroen J.L. & Lages, Cristiana R. & Kadić-Maglajlić, Selma, 2021. "The role of the service manager’s perceived career success in frontline employees’ learning processes and service improvement," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 601-617.
    5. Li, Xiaodong & Wang, Chuang & Hamari, Juho, 2021. "Frontline employees’ compliance with fuzzy requests: A request–appraisal–behavior perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 131(C), pages 55-68.
    6. Suhartanto, Dwi & Dean, David & Nansuri, Ruhadi & Triyuni, N.N., 2018. "The link between tourism involvement and service performance: Evidence from frontline retail employees," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 83(C), pages 130-137.
    7. van Esch, Patrick & Arli, Denni & Gheshlaghi, Mahnaz Haji, 2020. "Creating an effective self-managed service climate for frontline service employees," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 57(C).

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Meyer, Jan-Hinrich & González, Eva M. & Lopez-Lomelí, Miguel A., 2022. "Better support for supportive jobs. How to improve brand performance through better compensation and training for in-store merchandisers," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 64(C).
    2. Arman Avadikyan & Gilles Lambert & Christophe Lerch, 2016. "A Multi-Level Perspective on Ambidexterity: The Case of a Synchrotron Research Facility," Working Papers of BETA 2016-44, Bureau d'Economie Théorique et Appliquée, UDS, Strasbourg.
    3. Cheng, Cheng-Feng & Chang, Man-Ling & Li, Chu-Shiu, 2013. "Configural paths to successful product innovation," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 66(12), pages 2561-2573.
    4. Alhamzah Alnoor & Khai Wah Khaw & XinYing Chew & Sammar Abbas & Zeeshan Zaib Khattak, 2023. "The Influence of the Barriers of Hybrid Strategy on Strategic Competitive Priorities: Evidence from Oil Companies," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 24(2), pages 179-198, June.
    5. Gilberto Santos & Jose Carlos Sá & Maria João Félix & Luís Barreto & Filipe Carvalho & Manuel Doiro & Kristína Zgodavová & Miladin Stefanović, 2021. "New Needed Quality Management Skills for Quality Managers 4.0," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(11), pages 1-22, May.
    6. Anna Adamik & Michał Nowicki, 2019. "Pathologies and Paradoxes of Co-Creation: A Contribution to the Discussion about Corporate Social Responsibility in Building a Competitive Advantage in the Age of Industry 4.0," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(18), pages 1-38, September.
    7. Dominik M. Wielgos & Christian Homburg & Christina Kuehnl, 2021. "Digital business capability: its impact on firm and customer performance," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 49(4), pages 762-789, July.
    8. Kazadi, Kande & Lievens, Annouk & Mahr, Dominik, 2016. "Stakeholder co-creation during the innovation process: Identifying capabilities for knowledge creation among multiple stakeholders," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 525-540.
    9. Siri Jagstedt & Magnus Persson, 2019. "Using Platform Strategies In The Development Of Integrated Product-Service Solutions," International Journal of Innovation Management (ijim), World Scientific Publishing Co. Pte. Ltd., vol. 23(04), pages 1-36, May.
    10. Deprez, Laurens & Antonio, Katrien & Boute, Robert, 2021. "Pricing service maintenance contracts using predictive analytics," European Journal of Operational Research, Elsevier, vol. 290(2), pages 530-545.
    11. Rönnberg Sjödin, David & Parida, Vinit & Kohtamäki, Marko, 2016. "Capability configurations for advanced service offerings in manufacturing firms: Using fuzzy set qualitative comparative analysis," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(11), pages 5330-5335.
    12. Damien Joseph & Soon Ang & Sandra A. Slaughter, 2015. "Turnover or Turnaway? Competing Risks Analysis of Male and Female IT Professionals’ Job Mobility and Relative Pay Gap," Information Systems Research, INFORMS, vol. 26(1), pages 145-164, March.
    13. Maike Müller & Dirk Stegelmeyer & Rakesh Mishra, 2023. "Development of an augmented reality remote maintenance adoption model through qualitative analysis of success factors," Operations Management Research, Springer, vol. 16(3), pages 1490-1519, September.
    14. Ashkan Faramarzi & Stefan Worm & Wolfgang Ulaga, 2024. "Service strategy’s effect on firm performance: A meta-analysis of the servitization literature," Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, Springer, vol. 52(4), pages 1018-1044, July.
    15. Rabetino, Rodrigo & Kohtamäki, Marko & Gebauer, Heiko, 2017. "Strategy map of servitization," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 192(C), pages 144-156.
    16. Stefan, Ioana & Bengtsson, Lars, 2017. "Unravelling appropriability mechanisms and openness depth effects on firm performance across stages in the innovation process," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 120(C), pages 252-260.
    17. Burcharth, Ana Luiza Lara de Araújo & Lettl, Christopher & Ulhøi, John Parm, 2015. "Extending organizational antecedents of absorptive capacity: Organizational characteristics that encourage experimentation," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 90(PA), pages 269-284.
    18. Ancillai, Chiara & Sabatini, Andrea & Gatti, Marco & Perna, Andrea, 2023. "Digital technology and business model innovation: A systematic literature review and future research agenda," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 188(C).
    19. Maxim Voronov & Mary Ann Glynn & Klaus Weber, 2022. "Under the Radar: Institutional Drift and Non‐Strategic Institutional Change," Journal of Management Studies, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 59(3), pages 819-842, May.
    20. Welton Chang & Pavel Atanasov & Shefali Patil & Barbara A. Mellers & Philip E. Tetlock, 2017. "Accountability and adaptive performance under uncertainty: A long-term view," Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, vol. 12(6), pages 610-626, November.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:ijrema:v:33:y:2016:i:4:p:797-817. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-research-in-marketing/ .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.