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How frontline employees' communication styles affect consumers' willingness to interact: The boundary condition of emotional ability similarity

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  • Yao, Qi
  • Kuai, Ling
  • Wang, Cheng Lu

Abstract

This research explored the impacts of frontline employees' communication styles (task-oriented vs. social-oriented) on consumers' willingness to interact. The hypothesized relationship between communication style and willingness to interact was tested based on two experiments and analyzed by ANOVA and PROCESS program. The results revealed that consumers' willingness to interact was higher when frontline employees adopted a social-oriented style, while social distance mediated this influence. We identified emotional ability similarity as a boundary condition, indicating that social-oriented communication is more effective than task-oriented when there is low emotional ability similarity. However, when the emotional ability similarity is high, both communication styles positively influence consumers' willingness to interact. Theoretical contributions, managerial applications, and future research directions are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Yao, Qi & Kuai, Ling & Wang, Cheng Lu, 2022. "How frontline employees' communication styles affect consumers' willingness to interact: The boundary condition of emotional ability similarity," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 68(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:joreco:v:68:y:2022:i:c:s0969698922001758
    DOI: 10.1016/j.jretconser.2022.103082
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    3. Dogerlioglu-Demir, Kivilcim & Ng, Andy H. & Koçaş, Cenk, 2023. "Gracefully yours: Would snap judgments of one's subtle graceful movements lead to inferences about their emotional intelligence?," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 75(C).

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