| This study was designed to explore the possible effects that transformational and transactional leadership practices have on retail customer service within a small division of a Fortune 50 company. The research, a mixed-methods exploratory approach, combines leadership analytical quantitative data from the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire (MLQ), quantitative data assessed from a proprietary customer service program, and qualitative data gleaned from interviews with frontline retail leaders. The results of this case study will help fill a void in the literature by helping to identify whether leadership type and specific practices contribute to the overall success of employee/customer service efforts, which is a major contributor to customer retention in retail organizations (Blume, 1988; Bowen & Schneider, 1985; Gitomer, 1998; Godin, 2002; Gopal, 2004; Jones & Sasser, 1995; Reicheld, 1996; Schonberger, 1990; Stum & Thiry, 1991; Taylor & Baker; 1994). |
