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Managing service employees: literature review, expert opinions, and research directions

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  • Jochen Wirtz
  • Christina Jerger

Abstract

This article reviews the service management and marketing literature on managing people with a particular emphasis on managerial relevance. This review explores the market and financial results of managing people effectively, emphasizing that it is probably harder to duplicate high-performing human assets than any other corporate resource. The challenges inherent in boundary-spanning frontline jobs are discussed, including role conflict and emotional labor. Next, recommended human resources (HR) strategies and practices related to recruitment, training, empowerment, service delivery teams, and employee motivation are reviewed. The literature review concludes with a section on service culture, climate, and leadership. Each section is complemented with further research suggestions that emerged from interviews with eight academic and practitioner experts. The last section outlines six themes for new research opportunities with high potential managerial relevance; they relate to (1) the financial impact of HR practices and strategies, (2) motivating service employees, (3) training, (4) emotional labor, (5) dealing with rude customers, and (6) the impact of technology on managing service employees.

Suggested Citation

  • Jochen Wirtz & Christina Jerger, 2016. "Managing service employees: literature review, expert opinions, and research directions," The Service Industries Journal, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 36(15-16), pages 757-788, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:taf:servic:v:36:y:2016:i:15-16:p:757-788
    DOI: 10.1080/02642069.2016.1278432
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. von Richthofen, Georg & von Wangenheim, Florian, 2021. "Managing service providers in the sharing economy: Insights from Airbnb’s host management," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 134(C), pages 765-777.
    2. Holmqvist, Jonas & Wirtz, Jochen & Fritze, Martin P., 2020. "Luxury in the digital age: A multi-actor service encounter perspective," Journal of Business Research, Elsevier, vol. 121(C), pages 747-756.
    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. Carmen Castro-Casal & Guadalupe Vila-Vázquez & Álvaro Pardo-Gayoso, 2019. "Sustaining Affective Commitment and Extra-Role Service among Hospitality Employees: Interactive Effect of Empowerment and Service Training," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(15), pages 1-16, July.
    5. Mansour Abdullah Alyahya & Elsayed Mohamed & Raphaël Akamavi & Ibrahim A. Elshaer & Alaa M. S. Azzaz, 2020. "Can Cognitive Capital Sustain Customer Satisfaction? The Mediating Effects of Employee Self-Efficacy," JOItmC, MDPI, vol. 6(4), pages 1-29, December.
    6. Melián-González, Santiago, 2022. "Gig economy delivery services versus professional service companies: Consumers’ perceptions of food-delivery services," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    7. Hur, Won-Moo & Shin, Yuhyung & Shin, Gyeongpyo, 2022. "Daily relationships between customer incivility, organizational control, self-efficacy, and service performance," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 69(C).
    8. Paluch, Stefanie & Wirtz, Jochen, 2020. "Artificial Intelligence and Robots in the Service Encounter," SMR - Journal of Service Management Research, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG, vol. 4(1), pages 3-8.
    9. Wagih Salama & Ahmed Hassan Abdou & Shaimaa Abo Khanger Mohamed & Hossam Said Shehata, 2022. "Impact of Work Stress and Job Burnout on Turnover Intentions among Hotel Employees," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-20, August.
    10. Amin, Muhammad & Khan, Imran & Shamim, Amjad & Ting, Ding Hooi & Jan, Amin & Abbasi, Amir Zaib, 2024. "Employee motivations in shaping customer value co-creation attitude and behavior: Job position as a moderator," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    11. Shengliang Zhang & Chaoying Huang & Xiaodong Li & Ai Ren, 2022. "Understanding Impacts of Service Robots with the Revised Gap Model," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(5), pages 1-23, February.
    12. 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).
    13. Amin, Muhammad & Shamim, Amjad & Ghazali, Zulkipli & Khan, Imran, 2021. "Employee Motivation to Co-Create Value (EMCCV): Construction and Validation of Scale," Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Elsevier, vol. 58(C).
    14. Santos-Vijande, María Leticia & López-Sánchez, Jose Ángel & Pascual-Fernández, Primitiva & Rudd, John M., 2021. "Service innovation management in a modern economy: Insights on the interplay between firms’ innovative culture and project-level success factors," Technological Forecasting and Social Change, Elsevier, vol. 165(C).
    15. Aikaterini Manthiou & Phil Klaus & Volker G. Kuppelwieser & William Reeves, 2021. "Man vs machine: examining the three themes of service robotics in tourism and hospitality," Electronic Markets, Springer;IIM University of St. Gallen, vol. 31(3), pages 511-527, September.

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