IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/jbrese/v122y2021icp751-760.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Service customer orientation and social sustainability: The case of small medium enterprises

Author

Listed:
  • Lee, Corrinne Mei Jyin
  • Che-Ha, Norbani
  • Syed Alwi, Sharifah Faridah

Abstract

Social sustainability is an intricate subject with interrelated but distinct components. This paper measures social sustainability as an employee outcome, customer outcome and organizational outcome. To test the strategy-sustainability relationship model, this study examines service customer orientation as the corresponding strategy. Using a sample of 400 SMEs in the service sector, the results show that all the direct and indirect relationships between service customer orientation and the three social sustainability indicators are significant.

Suggested Citation

  • Lee, Corrinne Mei Jyin & Che-Ha, Norbani & Syed Alwi, Sharifah Faridah, 2021. "Service customer orientation and social sustainability: The case of small medium enterprises," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 122(C), pages 751-760.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:jbrese:v:122:y:2021:i:c:p:751-760
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.12.048
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0148296319308148
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.jbusres.2019.12.048?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. Golini, Ruggero & Longoni, Annachiara & Cagliano, Raffaella, 2014. "Developing sustainability in global manufacturing networks: The role of site competence on sustainability performance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 147(PB), pages 448-459.
    2. Pfeffer, Jeffrey, 2010. "Building Sustainable Organizations: The Human Factor," Research Papers 2017r, Stanford University, Graduate School of Business.
    3. Gelhard, Carsten & von Delft, Stephan, 2016. "The role of organizational capabilities in achieving superior sustainability performance," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(10), pages 4632-4642.
    4. Junfeng Zhang, 2010. "Employee Orientation and Performance: An Exploration of the Mediating Role of Customer Orientation," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 91(1), pages 111-121, February.
    5. Babakus, Emin & Yavas, Ugur & Ashill, Nicholas J., 2009. "The Role of Customer Orientation as a Moderator of the Job Demand–Burnout–Performance Relationship: A Surface-Level Trait Perspective," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 85(4), pages 480-492.
    6. Xinshu Zhao & John G. Lynch & Qimei Chen, 2010. "Reconsidering Baron and Kenny: Myths and Truths about Mediation Analysis," Journal of Consumer Research, Journal of Consumer Research Inc., vol. 37(2), pages 197-206, August.
    7. Matthias Ehrgott & Felix Reimann & Lutz Kaufmann & Craig Carter, 2011. "Social Sustainability in Selecting Emerging Economy Suppliers," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 98(1), pages 99-119, January.
    8. Kevin Zheng Zhou & James R Brown & Chekitan S Dev & Sanjeev Agarwal, 2007. "The effects of customer and competitor orientations on performance in global markets: a contingency analysis," Journal of International Business Studies, Palgrave Macmillan;Academy of International Business, vol. 38(2), pages 303-319, March.
    9. Ethem Duygulu & Emir Ozeren & Pınar Işıldar & Andrea Appolloni, 2016. "The Sustainable Strategy for Small and Medium Sized Enterprises: The Relationship between Mission Statements and Performance," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 8(7), pages 1-16, July.
    10. Wang, Qiang & Zhao, Xiande & Voss, Chris, 2016. "Customer orientation and innovation: A comparative study of manufacturing and service firms," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 171(P2), pages 221-230.
    11. Thomas Dyllick & Kai Hockerts, 2002. "Beyond the business case for corporate sustainability," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 11(2), pages 130-141, March.
    12. Székely, Francisco & Knirsch, Marianna, 2005. "Responsible Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility:: Metrics for Sustainable Performance," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 23(6), pages 628-647, December.
    13. Paillé, Pascal & Amara, Nabil & Halilem, Norrin, 2018. "Greening the workplace through social sustainability among co-workers," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 89(C), pages 305-312.
    14. Lloret, Antonio, 2016. "Modeling corporate sustainability strategy," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 69(2), pages 418-425.
    15. Pratima Bansal, 2005. "Evolving sustainably: a longitudinal study of corporate sustainable development," Strategic Management Journal, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 26(3), pages 197-218, March.
    16. Naresh K. Malhotra & Sung S. Kim & Ashutosh Patil, 2006. "Common Method Variance in IS Research: A Comparison of Alternative Approaches and a Reanalysis of Past Research," Management Science, INFORMS, vol. 52(12), pages 1865-1883, December.
    17. Shin, Hojung & Lee, Jae-Nam & Kim, DaeSoo & Rhim, Hosun, 2015. "Strategic agility of Korean small and medium enterprises and its influence on operational and firm performance," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 168(C), pages 181-196.
    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. Wang, Zankai & Le, Thanh Tiep, 2022. "The COVID-19 pandemic’s effects on SMEs and travel agencies: The critical role of corporate social responsibility," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 76(C), pages 46-58.
    2. Ting-Chung Huang & Chien-Ta Ho, 2023. "Are Customers Always Right? The Importance of Sincerity and Keenness in Creating Retail Sustainable Development," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(6), pages 1-14, March.
    3. Locander, David A. & Darrat, Mahmoud A. & Babin, Barry J., 2023. "Examining the impact of salesperson orientation on creative selling, passive deviance, and organizational outcomes," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    4. Rakshit, Sandip & Mondal, Sandeep & Islam, Nazrul & Jasimuddin, Sajjad & Zhang, Zuopeng, 2021. "Social media and the new product development during COVID-19: An integrated model for SMEs," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    5. Vrontis, Demetris & Morea, Donato & Basile, Gianpaolo & Bonacci, Isabella & Mazzitelli, Andrea, 2021. "Consequences of technology and social innovation on traditional business model," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 170(C).
    6. Zia Ullah & Susana Álvarez-Otero & Mohammed Ali Bait Ali Sulaiman & Muhammad Safdar Sial & Naveed Ahmad & Miklas Scholz & Khaoula Omhand, 2021. "Achieving Organizational Social Sustainability through Electronic Performance Appraisal Systems: The Moderating Influence of Transformational Leadership," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(10), pages 1-14, May.
    7. Zhang, HongWei & Xie, Yuan, 2024. "Assessing natural resources, rebounding trends, digital economic structure and green recovery dynamics in China," Resources Policy, Elsevier, vol. 88(C).
    8. Mafalda Nogueira & Bruno Silva & Sandra Gomes, 2023. "The Impact of Customer-Centric Sustainability on Brand Relationships," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(16), pages 1-15, August.
    9. Christopher Luederitz & Guido Caniglia & Barry Colbert & Sarah Burch, 2021. "How do small businesses pursue sustainability? The role of collective agency for integrating planned and emergent strategy making," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 30(7), pages 3376-3393, November.
    10. Tomás F. Espino-Rodríguez, 2023. "Research on Outsourcing by Hotel Firms: Current State and Future Directions," Tourism and Hospitality, MDPI, vol. 4(1), pages 1-15, January.
    11. Jikai Zou & Ying Shao, 2022. "A Study on Factors Affecting the Value Co-Creation Behavior of Customers in Sharing Economy: Take Airbnb Malaysia as an Example," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(19), pages 1-18, October.
    12. Anna Lewandowska & Zia Ullah & Fatima Saleh AlDhaen & Esra AlDhaen & Alina Yakymchuk, 2023. "Enhancing Organizational Social Sustainability: Exploring the Effect of Sustainable Leadership and the Moderating Role of Micro-Level CSR," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(15), pages 1-16, August.
    13. Zia Ullah & Mohammed Ali Bait Ali Sulaiman & Syed Babar Ali & Naveed Ahmad & Miklas Scholz & Heesup Han, 2021. "The Effect of Work Safety on Organizational Social Sustainability Improvement in the Healthcare Sector: The Case of a Public Sector Hospital in Pakistan," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(12), pages 1-18, June.
    14. Rakshit, Sandip & Islam, Nazrul & Mondal, Sandeep & Paul, Tripti, 2021. "Mobile apps for SME business sustainability during COVID-19 and onwards," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 135(C), pages 28-39.
    15. Hananiel M. Gunawan & Oliandes Sondakh, 2024. "The Impact on Service Orientation and Organizational Support towards Organizational Commitment and Business Sustainability on Healthcare Providers in Surabaya," International Journal of Science and Business, IJSAB International, vol. 31(1), pages 1-11.
    16. Villegas Pinuer, Francisco & Valenzuela Fernández, Leslier & Llonch Andreu, Joan & López Belbeze, Pilar, 2022. "Environmental sustainability and their factors in SMEs: A multiple case study of Spain and Chile," Cuadernos de Gestión, Universidad del País Vasco - Instituto de Economía Aplicada a la Empresa (IEAE).
    17. Rosaria Ferlito & Rosario Faraci, 2022. "Sustainable Hybrid Business Model of Benefit Corporation: The Case of an Italian Film Production Company," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-17, May.
    18. Blommerde-Winters, Tadhg, 2022. "The roles of NSD performance and standardized service development processes in the performance of micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 139(C), pages 56-68.

    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. Mohammad Hossein Ronaghi & Mohammad Mosakhani, 2022. "The effects of blockchain technology adoption on business ethics and social sustainability: evidence from the Middle East," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 24(5), pages 6834-6859, May.
    2. Fabien Martinez, 2014. "Corporate strategy and the environment: towards a four-dimensional compatibility model for fostering green management decisions," Post-Print hal-02887618, HAL.
    3. Jeremy Galbreath, 2018. "Do Boards of Directors Influence Corporate Sustainable Development? An Attention‐Based Analysis," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 27(6), pages 742-756, September.
    4. Anselm Schneider, 2015. "Reflexivity in Sustainability Accounting and Management: Transcending the Economic Focus of Corporate Sustainability," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 127(3), pages 525-536, March.
    5. Kozica, Arjan & Kaiser, Stephan, 2012. "A Sustainability Perspective on Flexible HRM: How to Cope with Paradoxes of Contingent Work," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 23(3), pages 239-261.
    6. Ekaterina Blinova & Tatyana Ponomarenko & Valentin Knysh, 2022. "Analyzing the Concept of Corporate Sustainability in the Context of Sustainable Business Development in the Mining Sector with Elements of Circular Economy," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-30, July.
    7. Mariana Toussaint & Pablo Cabanelas & Pilar Muñoz-Dueñas, 2022. "Social sustainability in the food value chain: what is and how to adopt an integrative approach?," Quality & Quantity: International Journal of Methodology, Springer, vol. 56(4), pages 2477-2500, August.
    8. Thaís Vieira Nunhes & Merce Bernardo & Otávio José de Oliveira, 2020. "Rethinking the Way of Doing Business: A Reframe of Management Structures for Developing Corporate Sustainability," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(3), pages 1-32, February.
    9. Sarah Birrell Ivory & Simon Bentley Brooks, 2018. "Managing Corporate Sustainability with a Paradoxical Lens: Lessons from Strategic Agility," Journal of Business Ethics, Springer, vol. 148(2), pages 347-361, March.
    10. Mani, Venkatesh & Gunasekaran, Angappa & Papadopoulos, Thanos & Hazen, Benjamin & Dubey, Rameshwar, 2016. "Supply chain social sustainability for developing nations: Evidence from India," Resources, Conservation & Recycling, Elsevier, vol. 111(C), pages 42-52.
    11. Mani, Venkatesh & Gunasekaran, Angappa, 2018. "Four forces of supply chain social sustainability adoption in emerging economies," International Journal of Production Economics, Elsevier, vol. 199(C), pages 150-161.
    12. HERCIU Mihaela & OGREAN Claudia, 2018. "Business Sustainable Competitiveness – A Synergistic, Long-Run Approach Of A Company’S Resources And Results," Studies in Business and Economics, Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu, Faculty of Economic Sciences, vol. 13(3), pages 26-44, December.
    13. Ehnert, Ina & Harry, Wes, 2012. "Recent Developments and Future Prospects on Sustainable Human Resource Management: Introduction to the Special Issue," management revue - Socio-Economic Studies, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 23(3), pages 221-238.
    14. Nina Hampl & Moritz Loock, 2013. "Sustainable Development in Retailing: What is the Impact on Store Choice?," Business Strategy and the Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 22(3), pages 202-216, March.
    15. V. Mani & Rajat Agrawal & Vinay Sharma, 2016. "Impediments to Social Sustainability Adoption in the Supply Chain: An ISM and MICMAC Analysis in Indian Manufacturing Industries," Global Journal of Flexible Systems Management, Springer;Global Institute of Flexible Systems Management, vol. 17(2), pages 135-156, June.
    16. Čater, Tomaž & Čater, Barbara & Milić, Patricia & Žabkar, Vesna, 2023. "Drivers of corporate environmental and social responsibility practices: A comparison of two moderated mediation models," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 159(C).
    17. Živilė Stankevičiūtė & Asta Savanevičienė, 2018. "Raising the Curtain in People Management by Exploring How Sustainable HRM Translates to Practice: The Case of Lithuanian Organizations," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 10(12), pages 1-31, November.
    18. Anna Żelazna & Matylda Bojar & Ewa Bojar, 2020. "Corporate Social Responsibility towards the Environment in Lublin Region, Poland: A Comparative Study of 2009 and 2019," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(11), pages 1-13, June.
    19. Belén Derqui, 2020. "Towards sustainable development: Evolution of corporate sustainability in multinational firms," Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, John Wiley & Sons, vol. 27(6), pages 2712-2723, November.
    20. Rodriguez, Rocio & Svensson, Göran & Otero-Neira, Carmen, 2019. "Framing sustainable development through descriptive determinants in private hospitals – Orientation and organization," Evaluation and Program Planning, Elsevier, vol. 75(C), pages 78-88.

    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:jbrese:v:122:y:2021:i:c:p:751-760. 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: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/jbusres .

    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.