The effect of customer-initiated support on employee service performance: The self-verification theory perspective

doi:10.3724/SP.J.1041.2022.00398

Abstract

Abstract:

Drawing on the self-verification theory, the present study aimed to examine the effect of customer-initiated support on employee service performance (in-role service performance and proactive customer service performance) and explore the mediating role of organization-based self-esteem and the moderating roles of promotion focus and internal locus of control. We collected three-wave time-lagged data from 652 nurses nested within 139 department supervisors. Results from multilevel modeling analysis showed that: (1) customer-initiated support was positively related to employee organization-based self-esteem; (2) organization-based self-esteem was positively related to employee in-role service performance and proactive customer service performance; (3) employee organization-based self-esteem mediated the relationship between customer-initiated support and employee in-role service performance and proactive customer service performance; (4) promotion focus strengthened the positive relationship between customer-initiated support and organization-based self-esteem, such that the positive relationship between customer-initiated support and organization- based self-esteem was stronger for employees with higher promotion focus; (5) internal locus of control weakened the relationship between customer-initiated support and organization-based self-esteem, such that the positive relationship between customer-initiated support and organization-based self-esteem was weaker for employees with higher internal locus of control. These findings shed light on potential underlying mechanisms and boundary conditions of the effect of customer-initiated support on employee service performance and provide new ideas for organizations to improve employee service performance.

Key words: customer-initiated support, service performance, self-verification theory, organizational-based self-esteem, promotion focus, internal locus of control

ZHANG Hui, LIU Yanjun, SHI Yanwei, ZHANG Nan. (2022). The effect of customer-initiated support on employee service performance: The self-verification theory perspective. Acta Psychologica Sinica, 54(4), 398-410.

Figures/Tables 7

References 61

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Model	χ²	df	χ²/ df	CFI	TLI	RMSEA
Six-factor model: CS; PF; ILC; OBSE; IP; PCSP	824.74	284	2.90	0.95	0.94	0.06
Five-factor model: CS; PF; ILC; OBSE; IP + PCSP	1679.52	289	5.81	0.87	0.86	0.07
Four-factor model: CS; PF; ILC; OBSE + IP + PCSP	4372.80	293	14.92	0.63	0.59	0.11
Three-factor model: PF; ILC; CS + OBSE + IP + PCSP	5094.45	296	17.21	0.56	0.52	0.11
Two-factor model: CS + PF + ILC; OBSE + IP + PCSP	6057.40	298	20.33	0.47	0.43	0.17
Single factor model: CS + PF + ILC + OBSE + IP + PCSP	6325.82	299	21.16	0.45	0.40	0.17

Model	χ²	df	χ²/ df	CFI	TLI	RMSEA
Six-factor model: CS; PF; ILC; OBSE; IP; PCSP	824.74	284	2.90	0.95	0.94	0.06
Five-factor model: CS; PF; ILC; OBSE; IP + PCSP	1679.52	289	5.81	0.87	0.86	0.07
Four-factor model: CS; PF; ILC; OBSE + IP + PCSP	4372.80	293	14.92	0.63	0.59	0.11
Three-factor model: PF; ILC; CS + OBSE + IP + PCSP	5094.45	296	17.21	0.56	0.52	0.11
Two-factor model: CS + PF + ILC; OBSE + IP + PCSP	6057.40	298	20.33	0.47	0.43	0.17
Single factor model: CS + PF + ILC + OBSE + IP + PCSP	6325.82	299	21.16	0.45	0.40	0.17

Variables	M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
1 Age	30.03	5.47	-
2 Professional Title	1.98	0.81	0.77^***	-
3 Education level	2.73	0.54	-0.05	-0.03	-
4 Customer-initiated support	3.92	0.64	0.01	-0.05	-0.09^*	(0.86)
5 Promotion focus	3.61	0.79	-0.02	-0.08^*	-0.11^*	0.27^***	(0.87)
6 Internal locus of control	3.38	0.55	0.01	-0.05	-0.07	0.10^*	0.16^***	(0.89)
7 Proactive personality	3.72	0.59	0.05	-0.01	-0.05	0.51^***	0.37^***	0.23^***	(0.85)
8 Organization-based self-esteem	3.42	0.94	-0.01	-0.11^**	-0.08^*	0.48^***	0.60^***	0.21^***	0.48^***	(0.97)
9 In-role service performance	4.45	0.47	0.02	0.01	-0.03	0.40^***	0.12^**	0.10^**	0.35^***	0.31^***	(0.84)
10 PCSP	5.82	0.83	0.10^**	-0.01	-0.04	0.45^***	0.33^***	0.15^***	0.48^***	0.43^***	0.50^***	(0.90)

Variables	M	SD	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10
1 Age	30.03	5.47	-
2 Professional Title	1.98	0.81	0.77^***	-
3 Education level	2.73	0.54	-0.05	-0.03	-
4 Customer-initiated support	3.92	0.64	0.01	-0.05	-0.09^*	(0.86)
5 Promotion focus	3.61	0.79	-0.02	-0.08^*	-0.11^*	0.27^***	(0.87)
6 Internal locus of control	3.38	0.55	0.01	-0.05	-0.07	0.10^*	0.16^***	(0.89)
7 Proactive personality	3.72	0.59	0.05	-0.01	-0.05	0.51^***	0.37^***	0.23^***	(0.85)
8 Organization-based self-esteem	3.42	0.94	-0.01	-0.11^**	-0.08^*	0.48^***	0.60^***	0.21^***	0.48^***	(0.97)
9 In-role service performance	4.45	0.47	0.02	0.01	-0.03	0.40^***	0.12^**	0.10^**	0.35^***	0.31^***	(0.84)
10 PCSP	5.82	0.83	0.10^**	-0.01	-0.04	0.45^***	0.33^***	0.15^***	0.48^***	0.43^***	0.50^***	(0.90)

Outcomes	Moderators	Effect	Standard error	95%LLCI	95%ULCI
In-role service performance	High promotion focus	0.04	0.02	0.0003	0.08
	Low promotion focus	0.03	0.01	0.0002	0.05
	Difference value	0.02	0.01	-0.002	0.04
Proactive customer service performance	High promotion focus	0.11	0.03	0.06	0.17
	Low promotion focus	0.07	0.02	0.03	0.12
	Difference value	0.14	0.03	0.002	0.10
In-role service performance	High internal locus of control	0.02	0.01	0.002	0.05
	Low internal locus of control	0.04	0.02	0.004	0.08
	Difference value	-0.02	0.01	-0.0004	0.08
Proactive customer service performance	High internal locus of control	0.07	0.02	0.03	0.11
	Low internal locus of control	0.11	0.03	0.06	0.18
	Difference value	-0.05	0.02	-0.10	-0.005