Managing frontline service employee motivation: Influences on work-related outcomes and customer experiences

Employee motivation has always been in the spotlight due to its positive influence on work related outcomes. However, service employee motivation and its influence on customers' attitudes and behaviors have been largely overlooked (Rust 2004; Schultz 2002). This dissertation examines frontline service employee (FLSE) motivation both from employee and customer perspectives via two studies. Drawing upon the Self Determination Theory (SDT) of work motivation, the survey-based Study I examines organizational interventions (intrinsic and extrinsic) job characteristics that influence FLSE motivation and in turn their work-related attitudes and behaviors. Study II employs an Attribution Theory perspective and explores the influences of FLSE motivation on customer attitudes and behaviors using an experimental design. Specifically, the effects of customers' attributions of FLSE motivation (amotivated, extrinsically or intrinsically motivate) are explored with respect to situational involvement (low vs. high) and service recovery effort outcome (negative vs. positive) as contingencies.; Findings of Study I indicate that managers can improve FLSE motivation by empowering, coaching and rewarding their FLSEs and motivated employees are more satisfied with their jobs, committed to the firm and committed to service quality. Additionally, results show that FLSE motivation improves work related behaviors (performance and OCBs) through commitment to service quality. Study II concludes that customers' attributions of FLSE motivation positively influence customers' attitudes and behaviors towards the service firm. However, the proposed moderating variables (situational involvement and service recovery outcome) are found to be insignificant indicating that both in positive or negative service recovery outcome situations as well as both when customers have high or low situational involvement, customers' attributions of FLSE motivation is an important determinant of service experiences.