Service employee burnout and engagement: the moderating role of power distance orientation

Seigyoung Auh (), Bulent Menguc (), Stavroula Spyropoulou () and Fatima Wang ()
Additional contact information
Seigyoung Auh: Arizona State University
Bulent Menguc: Kadir Has University
Stavroula Spyropoulou: University of Leeds
Fatima Wang: King’s College London

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 2016, vol. 44, issue 6, No 5, 726-745

Abstract: Abstract Studies show that service employees are among the most disengaged in the workforce. To better understand service employees’ job engagement, this study broadens the scope of the job demands-resources (JD-R) model to include power distance orientation (PDO). The inclusion of PDO enriches the JD-R model by providing a key piece of information that has been missing in prior JD-R models: employees’ perceptions of the source of job demands (i.e., supervisors) or employees’ views of power and hierarchy within the organization. Study 1 uses a survey-based field study to show that employees with a high (compared to low) PDO feel more burnout due to supervisors when they are closely monitored by their supervisors. Study 1 further supports the finding that employees with high (compared to low) PDO feel less disengagement despite burnout due to supervisors. Study 2, using a lab experiment, and Study 3, relying on a survey-based field study, unveil why these effects were observed. Stress and job satisfaction emerge as mediators that explain the findings from Study 1. Implications of the role of PDO are discussed to improve the current understanding of how job engagement can improve customer service performance.

Keywords: Job demands-resources model; Supervisor close monitoring; Power distance orientation; Burnout due to supervisor; Job engagement; Supervisor customer service feedback (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (10)

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DOI: 10.1007/s11747-015-0463-4

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