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I don't want to be a rule enforcer during the COVID-19 pandemic: Frontline employees' plight

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  • Northington, William Magnus
  • Gillison, Stephanie T.
  • Beatty, Sharon E.
  • Vivek, Shiri

Abstract

This research explores the pandemic-related experiences of frontline employees (FLEs) relative to customer rule-enforcement interactions within retail and service industries. Using a survey, incorporating closed-ended and CIT questions, we investigated, from the FLEs' perspectives, the occupational stress of rule-enforcement, company expectations of FLEs regarding rule enforcement, and the emotional impact of customer interactions on FLEs. Results indicate that several customer misbehaviors, such as not following rules and being rude, produce significant occupational stress. Further, based on our CIT assessments, many of the FLEs’ recounted rule-enforcement incidents involved negative customer reactions, translating to heightened negativity for FLEs due to emotional contagion.

Suggested Citation

  • Northington, William Magnus & Gillison, Stephanie T. & Beatty, Sharon E. & Vivek, Shiri, 2021. "I don't want to be a rule enforcer during the COVID-19 pandemic: Frontline employees' plight," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 63(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:63:y:2021:i:c:s0969698921002897
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102723
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Walsh, Gianfranco, 2011. "Unfriendly customers as a social stressor - An indirect antecedent of service employees' quitting intention," European Management Journal, Elsevier, vol. 29(1), pages 67-78, February.
    2. Barnes, Donald C. & Ponder, Nicole & Hopkins, Christopher D., 2015. "The impact of perceived customer delight on the frontline employee," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 68(2), pages 433-441.
    3. Reynolds, Kate L. & Harris, Lloyd C., 2009. "Dysfunctional Customer Behavior Severity: An Empirical Examination," Journal of Retailing, Elsevier, vol. 85(3), pages 321-335.
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    2. Cecilia Ramos-Estrada & María Teresa de la Garza Carranza & Jorge Armando López-Lemus & Quetzalli Atlatenco-Ibarra & Edgar René Vázquez-González, 2021. "Organizational Strategies and Their Impact on Employee Commitment during the Health Emergency," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-14, November.
    3. Mortimer, Gary & Andrade, María Lucila Osorio & Fazal-e-Hasan, Syed Muhammad, 2024. "From traditional to transformed: Examining the pre- and post-COVID consumers’ shopping mall experiences," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 76(C).
    4. Rodríguez-Priego, Nuria & Porcu, Lucia & Prados Peña, María Belén & Crespo Almendros, Esmeralda, 2023. "Perceived customer care and privacy protection behavior: The mediating role of trust in self-disclosure," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    5. Surachartkumtonkun, Jiraporn & Ngo, Liem Viet & Shao, Wei, 2023. "The crisis cloud's silver linings: The effects of hope and gratitude on employee burnout and engagement," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 74(C).
    6. Serravalle, Francesca & Pantano, Eleonora, 2023. "Mastering care management strategies to improve retailing: Mechanisms, capabilities, impacts and emerging opportunities," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    7. Raggiotto, Francesco & Compagno, Cristiana & Scarpi, Daniele, 2023. "Care management to improve retail customers' and employees’ satisfaction," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 72(C).
    8. Ifie, Kemefasu & Mousavi, Sahar & Xie, Junyi, 2023. "Enforcement of service rules by frontline employees: A conceptual model and research propositions," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 154(C).
    9. Gaan, Niharika & Shin, Yuhyung, 2023. "Supervisor incivility and frontline employees’ performance amid the COVID-19 pandemic: A multilevel moderated mediation analysis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).
    10. Priporas, Constantinos Vasilios & Vellore Nagarajan, Durga & Kamenidou, Irene (Eirini), 2023. "A technology-people-integrated toolkit for retail care management during a crisis," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 73(C).

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